1
$400K for 7% on a SAFE plus $600K guaranteed in your next round, for founders still finding their idea.
🎁 $1M
8.0/10
What you get The SPC Founder Fellowship invests $400,000 upfront for 7% on a standard SAFE, plus $600,000 guaranteed in your next external round, for up to $1M in total. It starts with an eight-week bootcamp, then a Fellow Residency that lasts as long as you need. During the bootcamp you work from an SPC office in San Francisco, New… Read more →
Pros
- $400K for 7% plus a guaranteed follow-on
- Backs you before you have an idea
- Offices in SF, NYC and Bangalore
Cons
- Follow-on needs an external round
- Fixed application windows
Pricing: $1M investment · fellowship safe pre-idea community
2
$250,000 grant over two years, no equity, for builders aged 22 or under who skip or leave college.
🎁 $250k · #555k web rank · ▲ 409 this week
7.5/10
What you get The Thiel Fellowship is a two-year programme that gives each Fellow a $250,000 grant, paid over the two years. The FAQ says: "We do not take equity in your company." Fellows also join a community of past Fellows and mentors. Who qualifies Anyone aged 22 or younger without a university degree. You must skip or "stop out"… Read more →
Pros
- $250K with no equity
- Year-round applications
- No need to relocate
Cons
- Must be 22 or under and leave college
- Very selective
Pricing: $250k investment · fellowship grant equity-free young-founders
3
Sequoia's twice-yearly open call for pre-seed and seed founders, with a four-day Arc Intensive.
#42k web rank · ▲ 152 this week
6.5/10
What you get Arc is Sequoia Capital's open call for pre-seed and seed founders, held twice a year. Companies Sequoia partners with at these stages are invited to the Arc Intensive, a four-day programme in cohorts of about 10 companies. Sequoia does not publish a standard cheque or equity figure: "Every new pre-seed or seed stage partnership with Sequoia is… Read more →
Pros
- Direct access to Sequoia at pre-seed
- Short, focused intensive
Cons
- No published terms, amount or dates
Pricing: Free to apply · vc pre-seed seed open-call
4
Fast grants and fellowships from the Mercatus Center for people with scalable "zero to one" ideas.
#58k web rank · ▲ 816 this week
6.5/10
What you get Emergent Ventures (EV) is a grant and fellowship programme run by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. It backs "thinkers and doers worldwide who pursue highly scalable, zero to one ideas to meaningfully improve society." Besides the main programme it has dedicated tranches for Africa and the Caribbean, India, the UK, Ukraine, archaeology, US science policy… Read more →
Pros
- Open to anyone 13+ worldwide
- Backs people and unusual projects
Cons
- Grant amounts not published
Pricing: Free to apply · grant fellowship mercatus global
5
One-week fellowship with an optional $10,000 investment at a $1B cap; rolling applications.
🎁 $10k
6.5/10
What you get Z Fellows is a one-week programme that brings you together with founders of large tech companies. You can take part without money, or take a $10,000 investment at a $1B valuation cap that converts into stock at your next priced round. Cohorts are mostly virtual, with a final in-person day in San Francisco or New York City;… Read more →
Pros
- Near-zero dilution
- No need to quit school or a job
- Rolling applications
Cons
- Only $10,000 and one week
Pricing: $10k investment · fellowship mentorship students small-cheque
6
One-week, in-person founder sprint in San Francisco; non-dilutive, pay-what-you-can (suggested $1,000).
6.0/10
What you get ODF (On Deck's founder programme; beondeck.com now redirects to joinodf.com) runs an intense one-week, in-person fellowship in San Francisco to meet collaborators, explore ideas and gain conviction. Cohorts have 80 to 100 people, more than half technical. You get lifetime access to a community of 3,000+ members, a library of workshops on fundraising, product and hiring, and… Read more →
Pros
- No equity
- Strong for co-founder search
- Large perks bundle
Cons
- No investment
- Suggested $1,000 contribution plus travel
Pricing: Free to apply · fellowship cofounder-search community non-dilutive