Rootwork

Rootwork: business model validation for first-time founders

The Rootwork app on a laptop and phone — Rooti guiding a research session alongside an evidence-backed report.

Rootwork helps first-time founders stress test their business ideas. Walk in prepared for conversations that move businesses forward.

Try Rootwork

  • Built for founders

    Made for early-stage innovators taking an idea to market.

  • Credible signals

    Grounds in official government statistics and the latest business news.

  • Ready to act on

    Turns research into clear next steps for validating ideas in the real world.

  • Expert guidance

    Shaped by the instincts great advisors bring from the field and the research skills of business librarians.

We all have an innate capacity for developing an entrepreneurial mindset. The urgency for developing this capacity has never been greater than it is today.

The gap we close

In the past, early-stage innovators often floundered between advisors who told them to validate their business model without the data, and librarians who provide data without the guidance of how to move their business forward. Today Rootwork provides a common ground for supporting first-time entrepreneurs.

Advisors

Guidance without the data.

Librarians

Data without the guidance.

Rootwork

A common ground
for first-time
entrepreneurs

Validation that creates forward momentum

Rootwork scaffolds the process of validating business ideas using data, hones the language of business for novice founders, and prepares them for validation in the real world — the critical conversations that create forward momentum.

Try Rootwork

For ecosystem partners

Building the innovation economy is a team sport.

Whether you're a librarian, faculty member, innovation center program manager, or advisor — we'd love to help you bring Rootwork to your community.

We're running a distributed network of pilots with trusted partners to test our claims and build robust evidence for future direction.

Register for an information session

We're holding two information sessions for those interested in running a pilot with their community. Both Zoom sessions cover the same information, so choose the one that works for you. A recording of the presentation portion will be available on request if you aren't able to make it to the live sessions.

Can't make either session? Email info@dataweb.ai and we'll send the recording.

How it works

  1. Get in touch

    Register your interest using our short Google Form, or join an information session.

  2. On-boarding

    We'll send you a scheduling link for a brief online onboarding session, connecting face to face to share materials, a unique access code, and your evidence dashboard.

  3. Share back

    We'll convene pilot partners online to share what we're learning across the network.

FAQ

When does the pilot take place?
The pilot period runs July 2026 – January 2027. This is the period for which we have funding to support the platform at this time. You're free to choose when to run the pilot within this timeframe.
Does it cost anything to be a pilot partner?
It costs your time, attention, and care. We provide the software without any fee.
How do I sign up?
Start with an information session, fill out our short registration form, or email info@dataweb.ai. We'll reply with onboarding details and a scheduling link.
When is the share-back convening?
February 2027. We'll send a "hold the date" calendar invite to all pilot partners as part of onboarding.
Who made this and why?
Rootwork is part of the Dataweb.ai initiative, started by two academic librarians who also develop and design digital research tools. You can read more about the why on dataweb.ai.
How is this funded?
HD and Mike received a few different grants to support this work from Vanderbilt University, AWS, and ALA.
Does this software use LLMs?
Yes. Rootwork is built using LLMs from Anthropic and open weight models, accessed through AWS. All data is stored in a Vanderbilt University enterprise account, separate from any other accounts, and the agreement explicitly states that data is not used for training.
Who owns the data?
Users own their own data, including any chat and report content they generate using the software. Users can request deletion of their data and account at any time.
What happens after the pilot?
After the February 2027 convening, our current plan is to release an open-source version of the platform as an open educational resource (OER). If we build a robust enough evidence base, we'll use it to secure additional funding to make a hosted solution more viable alongside the OER.