Aire Labs

The Challenge

As a seasoned founder launching his third venture, George Babu knew the pain points of traditional equity management all too well. Having spent countless hours managing cap tables, issuing equity, and maintaining data rooms across multiple startups using legacy solutions, he was determined to start Aire Labs on the right foundation.

George faced several key challenges:

• Limited time as a solo founder handling every operational aspect of the business

• Need for transparency with employees around equity and company information

• Requirement for investor-ready documentation and data rooms from day one

• Desire to avoid the administrative burden that had consumed hours at previous companies

• Commitment to getting equity management right as the company scales

"One of my beefs with startup culture is we keep a lot of our employees in the dark," George explains. "I absolutely hate that."

Why Mantle

George chose Mantle based on his experience with equity management pain points at previous companies and his commitment to transparency and efficiency at Aire Labs.

Key deciding factors:

1. Employee transparency: Mantle's beautiful employee portal allows team members to stay informed about their equity and company updates

2. Fast onboarding: The setup process was remarkably quick and efficient

3. Professional presentation: A polished interface he could proudly share with employees and investors

4. Comprehensive features: Board actions tracking, equity issuance, and always-ready data rooms

5. Time savings: Automation of tasks that previously consumed hours

"The onboarding process at Mantle was amazing. It was so fast. I gave the documents, it all got sucked in. Everything was set up, and I was like, this is pretty. I can share this with my employees and not feel like a loser. It looks great."

The Solution in Action

Mantle has become an integral part of Aire Labs' operational infrastructure, supporting the company's focus on building innovative climate solutions rather than managing administrative overhead.

How Aire Labs uses Mantle:

• Employee equity portal: Team members access clear, up-to-date information about their ownership stake

• Automated document management: Quick ingestion and organization of company documents

• Board governance: Streamlined tracking of board actions and decisions

• Equity issuance: Simplified process for granting equity to team members

• Investor data room: Always-ready documentation for fundraising activities

• Cap table management: Accurate, real-time view of company ownership

George also finds inspiration in Mantle's product approach: "I'm learning from what you guys are doing and how you're building Mantle because I'm taking lessons from that for my own platform. Our internal guidance on tools is find the best product out there so that A, it helps us, and B, we can learn from them."

The Results

Time Reclaimed

Tasks that previously consumed "hours and hours and hours through the course of the year at multiple startups" are now handled efficiently through Mantle's platform.

Employee Empowerment

Team members have transparent access to their equity information through a professional portal, fostering trust and alignment.

Investor Readiness

With an always-ready data room and organized documentation, Aire Labs is prepared for fundraising conversations without scrambling to compile materials.

Focus on Core Mission

By eliminating equity management overhead, George and his team can concentrate on their mission: accelerating the deployment of clean energy infrastructure to combat climate change.

Operational Excellence

The company launched with best practices in place, avoiding the need for future cleanup or migration from spreadsheets.

Looking Ahead

As Aire Labs prepares for its formal fundraising round, Mantle provides the foundation for scaling operations while maintaining transparency and efficiency. The company is onboarding live projects and working to revolutionize how the energy industry develops and deploys clean technology.

George's advice to other founders reflects his experience: "Venture is amazing when you want to really accelerate growth. Venture is not that great if you have a long exploration cycle." With Mantle handling equity management, Aire Labs can focus venture capital on what matters most—building and scaling their climate technology platform.

About the Founder

George Babu is a serial entrepreneur with deep experience in AI, robotics, and now climate technology. His previous ventures include:

• Kindred (2014-2020): Co-founded pioneering robotics company using deep learning for warehouse automation; acquired by Ocado

• Rypple (2008-2012): Early team member at HR performance management platform; acquired by Salesforce

• BlackBerry (1990s): Contributed to growth from startup to $90 billion valuation

George holds degrees in electrical engineering, law, and business, and recently obtained his pilot's license, finding surprising parallels between flight training and startup management.

"Really happy you guys are around to make my life as a founder so much easier." — George Babu, Co-founder, Aire Labs