AI-powered analysis of your startup idea. Get a viability score, market assessment, risk flags, and next steps in 60 seconds.
Quick Take: Use our free bring-your-own-key startup idea validator to generate a viability score, risk flags, and next-step recommendations for your startup concept. Bring-your-own API key (DeepSeek or OpenAI): your idea and credentials are sent directly from your browser to your chosen AI provider (DeepSeek or OpenAI), never passing through Niche AI Tool servers. AI output generates hypotheses only — always validate demand with real customer interviews. Need an idea first? Try our Business Idea Generator. For deeper comparison of paid and free validation services, read our full review of AI startup validation tools.
Disclosure: This contains affiliate links. If you sign up through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Stored only in your browser. Get a key → Cost: ~$0.002-0.02 per validation (peak/off-peak pricing, deepseek-flash model). DeepSeek offers 5M free tokens on registration (valid for 30 days). After the trial, add a small balance (~$2-5) before continued use. Tip: run validations on regular weekends or Chinese public holidays for off-peak rates. Note: makeup work weekends are still billed at off-peak rates (billing follows the administrative calendar, not actual workdays).
Enter your idea details and click "Validate My Idea"
or click "Show Demo Result" to see a sample.
Enter your idea, target customer, and pricing model. The more specific, the better the analysis.
DeepSeek's AI evaluates market opportunity, competition, feasibility, and risks across 4 dimensions.
Receive a 0-100 viability score, red flags, assumptions to validate, and concrete next steps.
Enter your idea description, target customer, and pricing model. The tool sends this information to DeepSeek's AI model, which analyzes market opportunity, competition, feasibility, and risks. You receive a 0-100 viability score plus detailed breakdowns and actionable next steps. Analysis takes about 30-60 seconds.
The tool itself is free. For full AI analysis, you need an API key from your chosen provider. DeepSeek (deepseek-flash): off-peak input ~$0.15/1M tokens, output ~$0.60/1M; peak rates are 2x. Each validation costs roughly $0.002-0.02. Regular weekends and Chinese public holidays are off-peak; makeup work weekends are still billed at off-peak rates. DeepSeek offers 5M free tokens on registration (valid for 30 days). OpenAI (gpt-4o-mini): $0.15/1M input, $0.60/1M output; new users get $5 credit for 3 months. You can also use the Demo button to see sample results without an API key.
Go to platform.deepseek.com, create an account, and navigate to API Keys. Create a new key and paste it into the tool. Your key is stored only in your browser's localStorage and is never sent to our servers. DeepSeek offers 5M free tokens on registration (valid for 30 days). After the trial, add a small balance (~$2-5) before continued use.
The AI score is a hypothesis-generating tool, not a definitive prediction. It analyzes your idea based on patterns in its training data. 43% of startups fail due to lack of product-market fit — AI analysis can identify obvious flaws and gaps, but only real customer interviews can validate actual demand. Always pair AI analysis with human validation.
0-30: High risk, significant flaws or no clear market. 31-50: Some potential but major gaps to address. 51-70: Promising idea with manageable risks. 71-90: Strong idea with clear market opportunity. 91-100: Exceptional idea (rare — be skeptical of scores this high). The score is AI-generated and should be used as a starting point for deeper research.
Yes. Click the 'Show Demo Result' button to see a sample validation report for an example idea. This lets you experience the full output format without needing an API key. When you're ready to validate your own idea, you'll need a DeepSeek API key.
Join our newsletter for weekly AI tool reviews, validation frameworks, and indie hacker strategies.
Subscribe Free