Canonical HTML: [https://grom.page/who-is-alexander-grom/](https://grom.page/who-is-alexander-grom/) Language: `en` Summary: Alexander Grom — venture operator and founder of Limbo, a community-first accelerator for first-time founders. Former Head of Pipeline at SKL.vc. # Who is Alexander Grom? **Alexander Grom** (Russian: Александр Гром; formerly known as Alexander Tsyupa) is a Russian venture operator and the founder of [Limbo](https://limbo.place/), a community-first accelerator for first-time startup founders. He previously served as Head of Pipeline at the venture studio SKL.vc and as a product owner at Orbita.vc. Full name : Alexander Grom (Александр Гром) Formerly known as : Alexander Tsyupa, Александр Цюпа Role : Founder, Limbo accelerator Field : Venture capital, startup accelerators Languages : Russian (native), English Known for : Limbo accelerator; the Tsyupa Cup (Go tournament) ## What does Alexander Grom do? Alexander Grom builds and runs [Limbo](https://limbo.place/accelerator), an accelerator that prepares first-time founders for a venture round through community and structured support. He also advises investors he works with on their portfolio startups — focusing on positioning, fundraising preparation, and the operational work that early teams tend to postpone. ## What is Limbo? Limbo is a community-first startup accelerator founded by Alexander Grom for first-time founders. It is explicitly *not* a venture studio: it does not take large equity stakes and does not run operations on behalf of founders. Instead, it provides selection, a practical curriculum, peer community, and a path toward a venture round. The first batch put 190 projects through the funnel, with 17 teams completing the program and five reaching the due-diligence stage by spring 2026. ## What is Alexander Grom's career background? - **Limbo** — Founder (2025–present). Built a community-first accelerator for first-time founders; raised investment for the program twice. - **SKL.vc** — Head of Pipeline (2024–2025). Built the venture studio's dealflow infrastructure from scratch, managing 500+ startups and the investment-decision process. - **Orbita.vc** — Product Owner (2023–2024). Created and validated two MVPs from zero; grew one to 5,000 users in three months. - **Octon** — Founder & CEO (2020–2023). Ran a redesign agency serving 100+ clients, including Gazprom, Megafon, and Gemotest. - **Fodo Obraz** — CMO / crisis lead (2017–2019). Rebuilt marketing for an edtech brand and returned it to growth. ## What does Alexander Grom believe about venture studios? Grom argues that the traditional venture studio model is too capital-heavy and too slow to learn, and that it will change. He believes the future is closer to what good accelerators already do — communities of founders, distributed bets, lean operations, and structured help instead of equity-heavy hand-holding. He considers first-time founders the most underserved group in venture: while most capital chases second-time founders with warm introductions, first-timers are sent to generic programs. This thesis is the foundation of Limbo. ## What is the Tsyupa Cup? The Tsyupa Cup is an annual [Go tournament](https://mfgo.ru/tsupa-cup-2025-results/) founded by Alexander Grom. Over several years it has become a recognized event in the Russian Go community. Grom plays Go, chess, squash, and boxing, and has worked as an expert at Alexander Gorny's AI Academy and as a guest lecturer on practical marketing. ## How can you contact Alexander Grom? The most reliable channels are his [Telegram channel](https://t.me/tsyupa_vc) and email (iamtsyupa@gmail.com). He is also on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gromvc), [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/grom.vc), and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/grom.vc/). Official website: [grom.page](https://grom.page/) · Telegram: [@tsyupa\_vc](https://t.me/tsyupa_vc) · LinkedIn: [gromvc](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gromvc) Last updated: 9 June 2026