01. Concept
Problem identified and validated. Initial hypothesis formed. Market research complete. Team assigned. Resources allocated. Clear success criteria defined before any code is written.
About
The Foundry
Smith & Cooper is where products get built, tested, and prepared for the world. We're an R&D lab and incubator — not a brand parent. Products graduate with their own identities.
The Model
What Cooper is
A cooper is a craftsperson who makes barrels — containers designed to hold something valuable until it's ready. That's us. We contain possibility. We build the vessel, we shape the product, we prepare it for what comes next.
Cooper exists to solve a specific problem: good ideas die in execution. We provide the environment, resources, and discipline to take concepts from hypothesis to market-ready product. When a product graduates from Cooper, it has been tested, refined, and proven.
We are part of the Smith family of companies, but we operate differently. Where other Smith entities serve clients directly, Cooper builds the tools and capabilities that make that work possible.
Entry Channels
How products enter Cooper
Three pathways into the incubator, each with different origins but the same rigor.
Channel 01
Operational necessity
A Smith entity identifies a capability gap. Nothing on the market fits the need. Cooper builds a solution, tests it internally, then evaluates external potential. AiDE started this way.
Channel 02
Market opportunity
We identify a problem worth solving that aligns with Smith's expertise. Research confirms market demand. We build from scratch with external users in mind. Greenbar started this way.
Channel 03
Strategic initiative
Leadership identifies a capability Smith needs to develop regardless of immediate commercial application. Long-term positioning meets disciplined execution.
The Process
Four stages, clear criteria
Every product moves through the same stages. No exceptions, no shortcuts.
01
Stage 01
Concept
02
Stage 02
Build
03
Stage 03
Validate
04
Stage 04
Graduate
02. Build
Active development begins. Core functionality takes shape. Technical architecture validated. Early internal testing. Brand identity development starts in parallel.
03. Validate
User testing with real customers. Market feedback gathered. Iterating toward product-market fit. Business model refined. Brand and marketing foundation established.
04. Graduate
Product-market fit confirmed. Own brand identity complete. Team and resources in place for scale. Leaves Cooper with the "From Smith & Cooper" credential and a growth path.
What Comes Next
Four paths to graduation
Products that succeed in Cooper can take multiple paths forward.
Path A
Standalone company
Product spins out as an independent business. Majority or wholly-owned by Smith, but operates autonomously with its own team, brand, and market presence.
Path B
Entity integration
Product becomes a core offering of an existing Smith entity. AiDE took this path — born in Cooper, now powers Porter's care coordination across Smith & Porter.
Path C
Strategic sale
Product is acquired by an external buyer. Value captured, team transitioned, Cooper moves on to the next build. Clean exit with founder participation.
Path D
Internal capability
Product becomes shared infrastructure across Smith entities. Not commercialized externally, but provides critical capability that enables other Smith work.
The Ecosystem
Part of Smith
Smith is a founder-forward holding company with portfolio entities spanning consulting, care, technology, ventures, and managed services. Cooper is the R&D lab — where the building happens.
Each Smith entity is named for a trade: Jones (counsel), Porter (care), Turner (technology), Archer (ventures), Miller (operations), and Cooper (building). The ampersand is our connection. The work is our proof.
"Coopers contain. Building what doesn't exist yet."
See what we're building
Our current portfolio includes products at various stages, from early concept to market-ready.
View Portfolio