a16z speedrun — SR007
Up to $1M check + $5M+ credits. AI-native, software, infra. 12-week intensive in San Francisco.
Final deadline May 17, 2026 · Batch July 27 → Oct 11, 2026
113 verified resources for US founders raising pre-seed and seed in 2026. Every entry double-sourced.
Up to $1M check + $5M+ credits. AI-native, software, infra. 12-week intensive in San Francisco.
Final deadline May 17, 2026 · Batch July 27 → Oct 11, 2026
$150K for 6% (less $37.5K program fee). 4-month in-person program in Palo Alto. Strong global founder network.
Deadline Aug 31, 2026 · Batch Oct 7, 2026 → Feb 28, 2027
$500K post-money SAFE. 3 months in San Francisco. The default option. Late S26 applications still being accepted.
F26 deadline ~August 2026 · Early Decision available year-round
$750K uncapped SAFE, valuation-tied dilution. Most founder-friendly terms in tech. 12-15 startups per cohort.
Cohort starts summer 2026 · Apply early — slots fill fast
$250K for ~9% + $2,500 relocation grant. 6-week residency. Founder matching for solo builders.
Rolling intake · SF, NYC, Austin · 1,800+ portfolio
$250K uncapped SAFE + $600K+ credits. For AI founders too early or research-heavy for traditional programs.
Rolling applications
Community-driven bootcamp with founders working 3+ days/week in offices. Direct partner mentorship. Pre-traction welcome.
Apps open mid-summer 2026 · Bootcamp late September → late November
$200K for 7.5% via SAFE. 6-month UC Berkeley program with 900+ advisors and Demo Day with 600+ investors.
Apps open August 2026 · Two tiers: Cohort (funded) + Pad-13 (resources only)
$220K total: $200K uncapped MFN SAFE + $20K for 5% common. Updated terms effective Fall 2025. Multiple programs by city/sector.
Anywhere deadline Sept 14, 2026 · NYC, Boulder, Austin, USC vary · APAC offers $100K MFN SAFE
$250K to $2M + $1M cloud credits. 12-week pre-seed program with hands-on partner involvement. Small batches.
W26 cohort starts January 2027 · S26 (Summer) deadlines passed
Up to $250K: $125K post-money SAFE for 8% + optional $125K uncapped MFN SAFE if relocating to SF (LAUNCH program). Equity-free stipend during initial FORM phase.
The Bridge cohort started April 2026 · Backs people before they have an idea or co-founder
$120K to $220K for 10–12%. Year-long program for bootstrapped B2B SaaS. Remote-friendly — no relocation needed.
Apps open now · Requires couple thousand $ MRR or strong validation
~$36K SAFE for ~5% + significant service credits (cloud, legal, marketing). Enterprise-first deep tech. Chicago Phase 2 adds $50K. Flexible terms.
SF flagship + Chicago program · New batch every 3-4 months
$250K initial + up to $525K total for ~8%. World's largest biotech accelerator. Lab access, regulatory guidance.
Quarterly cohorts · 4-month residency required
$250K to $550K from SOSV. Hard tech with in-house labs (mechanical, chemical, electronics). 6-month residency in Newark, NJ.
Continuous cohorts · Apply when prototype ready
Zero equity for the accelerator program. Optional $100K-$500K from PnP Ventures (separate arm). Vertical-specific cohorts (Medtech, Climate-Amazon, Blockchain, Enterprise).
Silicon Valley HQ + Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis · 12-14 week programs
$150K for 6% on post-money SAFE. NYC's largest accelerator (30 cohorts to date). 500+ mentor network. $2B+ raised by alumni.
Winter 2026 active · 4-month intensive · Spring 2026 forming
$500K to $1.5M with explicit follow-on reserves. Participating preferred. Tracks: Healthtech, Securetech, Urbantech. 14-week programs.
Requires minimum traction or pilots · Customer + Investor Sprints
Up to $600K SAFE for 7% common stock ($10M cap) + $1M non-dilutive cloud credits. Co-founds AI startups inside Allen Institute. 90% grad rate to VC funding.
4-18 month residencies · Heavy research + engineering focus
$125K for 7%. 14-week program. Founders meet 700+ investors. Jason backs 100 founders/year via The Syndicate.
Requires MVP / product in market · 7 companies per cohort
$500K to $10M. AI-native infra, security, autonomy, SaaS. $250M Fund VII closed early 2026. Latest: SurfAI (Mar 2026).
Inception-stage focus · 109 companies, 7 unicorns
$500K to $1.5M for "day-minus-one" founders. Fund IV $185M closed Feb 2025. Latest: TakeTwo (Jan 2026).
Partners: Anamitra Banerji, Gaurav Jain · FIR program for pre-formation founders
$1.5M to $5M average. $1.5B AUM with $450M Fund III dedicated to pre-seed/seed. Active 2025-2026 deployer.
Built Signal — your warm-intro path · 25 unicorns
$1M to $3M. "Most aligned VC fund for founders" — won't lead growth rounds. Fund V $95M.
Managing Partners: David Frankel, Eric Paley, Micah Rosenbloom + Amanda Herson, Joe DeFilippi
$25K to $150K initial, $1M to $2M follow-on. "Hilariously early" pre-seed. Angel Squad community of 2,000+ vetted angels.
Fund IV $50M target · 378 portfolio companies · Velocity-driven thesis
$500K standardized check in $3M-$7M pre-money rounds. Deep tech only — space, bio, energy, robotics, VR/AR. Fund IV $87.65M (Sept 2025).
Founders: Adam Draper, Brayton Williams · Sci-fi future thesis
$1M to $3M seed. Software-first investing. $3.2B+ AUM across 5 funds. 20 unicorns. Latest: 10x Science (April 2026).
Managing Partner: Brett Gibson · 19 investments in 2025
$500K to $1M typical seed. 30+ years backing early-stage. 1,081 total investments. New seed fund focus with Beth Turner as seed lead.
Founders: Ron Conway, Topher Conway + Andrea (GP)
AI-native fund. Embed program $150K pre-seed. Portfolio includes Harvey ($3B), Mistral ($6B), Sierra ($4.5B), Baseten ($825M).
Founder: Sarah Guo (2025 Midas Seed list) · 24 investments in 2025
$500K to $3M typical seed. Fund IV $181.8M (Mar 2025). Fintech, climate, cybersecurity, SaaS, creator economy.
Founder: Cyan Banister · Uber, Affirm, Carta in portfolio
$500K to $2M typical seed. NYC's largest seed fund. Fund IX $200M closed April 2025. 400+ portfolio.
Founders: Ben Lerer, Graham Brown, Eric Hippeau · 15 inception rounds in 2025
$500K to $3M. $60M Creator Economy fund (Feb 2025). Founder-friendly, patient. SF, Boston, NYC offices.
Creator Fund head: Billy Parks (Fullscreen veteran)
$500K to $2M. Gaming-native consumer apps. Fund II $100M (Sept 2024). "Spectrum of play" thesis.
Founders: Brian Cho, Jason Yeh (Riot Games veterans)
$500K to $4M. Fintech-only fund. Entire team ex-fintech operators. $140M fund. Latest: Outpost (Mar 2026).
75 portfolio · Mercury, Flexport, Chipper Cash exits
$1M to $15M. Fund III $330M (2024), $900M+ AUM. Fintech, health, AI, edtech, HR tech.
Founders: Alexa von Tobel, Penny Pritzker
$1M to $5M seed. Fund V $175M launched Q1 2025. AI, fintech, healthcare, energy, consumer. Susa Fellows program.
$375M+ across prior funds · Pre-seed/seed exclusive model
$2M to $10M. "Supercritical phase" investors — post-product-market-fit, pre-scale. 6-7 investments per year (concentrated).
Founders: Renata Quintini, Roseanne Wincek
$500K to $3M. Future of work, creator economy. 73 portfolio companies. 3 unicorns: Supabase, ClassDojo, Pipe.
Founder: Brianne Kimmel
$500K to $10M+. Fund X $900M closed June 2025 (largest yet). 38 investments in 2025. Term sheet in 24 hours.
155 seed investments · Aggressive deployment velocity
Pre-seed $250K to $500K, seed $500K to $1M. Fund Seven + Opportunity ($550M, Oct 2025). 610 portfolio, 33 unicorns.
Founder: David Tisch · Ramp, Stripe, Plaid, Cursor, Airtable
Founder Fellowship: $400K + $600K in next round. Fund IV $500M (Jan 2026). 250+ portfolio.
Founders: Ruchi Sanghvi, Aditya Agarwal · India fund expansion
$500K to $2M seed. Applied AI, data infra, fintech, cyber, national security. Formation to Series A focus.
9 partners · 218 investments · 18 in 2025
$1.5M to $3M for 12-15% ownership. Fund VIII $225M + Plus IV $75M (May 2025). B2B SaaS, devtools, infra, security.
Co-Founder: Andy McLoughlin · 278 portfolio · $59B exits
$250K to $750K pre-seed. "Thunder lizards" / pattern-breakers thesis. Pioneered the micro-VC model. Recent AI focus.
Founders: Ann Miura-Ko, Mike Maples Jr. · Recent AI focus
$250K to $500K. "First institutional check" specialist. Solo GP. Fund V $66M (April 2025). 9 new investments past 12 months.
Solo GP: Charles Hudson (2025 Midas Seed list)
$1M to $15M. Fund VII $500M (Nov 2024). Consumer, health, finance, commerce. AI-powered consumer recent emphasis.
64 seed investments · 24 in 2025 · Casa Technologies (Apr 2026)
$1M to $3M seed. Operator-driven (3:1 operator-to-investor ratio via Propulsion team). Work, health, commerce, money, AI.
7 seeded unicorns · Latest: Jimini Health (Mar 2026)
~$500K typical seed. Founder-first. Strong co-investor network (First Round, a16z, Lerer Hippeau).
Founders: Hadley Harris, Nihal Mehta, Tim Young, Laura Spiekerman · 121 seed investments
$3M to $10M. Pre-Series A gap filler ($3-10M checks). Fund III $300M. AI, SaaS, fintech, healthcare, consumer, logistics.
97 portfolio · Latest: Interface (Nov 2025)
$500K to $2M seed. Concentrated 15% ownership. Serial-founder partners. Airtable, Intercom, Patreon in portfolio.
$565M+ AUM · Founded 2009
Pre-seed $250K-$500K, seed $1M-$3M. Core fund $85M + Needles III $25M. Suno ($2.45B), Nominal in portfolio.
Founder: Semil Shah (consistent Forbes Midas Seed list)
Pre-seed/seed focused. Enterprise infra, cybersec, devtools, AI. Fund V $180M+ (July 2025) + Opportunity Fund II.
Latest: Duckbill (Feb 2026) · Developer-first thesis
$500K to $1.5M. Pre-seed to Series A via MuckerLab accelerator + capital. LA-based.
Founders: Erik Rannala, William Hsu + 3 partners · 172 investments
$500K to $750K. Pre-seed only (pre-product, pre-launch, pre-revenue). Technical founders. NYC-based. Clay (unicorn) + Talos in portfolio.
5 partners + 1 principal · 20 pre-seed startups in 2025
$250K to $6M. Pre-seed specialists. PearX accelerator (20 pre-seed/batch). DoorDash, Affinity, Cardless in portfolio.
Founders: Mar Hershenson, Pejman Nozad + 7 partners
~$500K typical. "Almost always their first VC check." Pure pre-seed/seed lead investor model. SF-based. Founded 2011.
157 portfolio · Avg seed investment $3.31M (with co-investors)
$25K to $250K. Global network of small, locally-run pre-seed funds. Founders + operators deploy in their cities.
Founder: Jenny Fielding (ex-MD Techstars NYC) · 180+ investments
Unusual Spark pre-seed program + $1M+ seed checks. Consumer, enterprise. Hands-on operator support model. Menlo Park HQ.
111 portfolio · 13 investments past 12 months
$500K to $2M pre-seed/seed. "First check at seed or even pre-seed" → growth fund follow-on. LA-based. 88 seed investments.
Latest: Neon Mobile (Mar 2026) · Growth fund follow-on available
$500K to $2M seed. Fintech, enterprise, "tech-forgotten" sectors (insurance, public sector). 38 seed, 21 Series A.
94 portfolio · 16 investments in 2025 · SF-based
~$3.25M typical seed. Enterprise cloud, AI, cybersecurity, healthcare, manufacturing. Digital transformation thesis.
17 seed, 18 Series A · SF-based, founded 2015
$250K to $750K ($400K sweet spot). Pure pre-seed. Coined the term "Pre-Seed." Strict 5-filter framework. Refuses accelerator graduates.
Priced equity (no SAFEs) · 54 portfolio
Avg seed $2.54M. Vertical B2B SaaS specialist. In-house Growth + Talent team for portfolio. NYC HQ.
33 seed, 12 Series A · Latest: Enata pre-seed (Jan 2026)
$3M typical pre-seed (larger than typical). Cloud infra, data infra, AI, enterprise cybersecurity. Technical founders only.
Founder: Ashmeet Sidana (Chief Engineer) · Palo Alto · $150M+ AUM
$1M to $3M (Homebrew). Founder-friendly seed investor + Screendoor (LP program for emerging VC managers).
Founders: Hunter Walk, Satya Patel · Screendoor advisors include Kirsten Green, Aileen Lee, Charles Hudson
Official YC post-money + pre-money SAFE docs, MFN clauses, side letters. 92% of pre-seed rounds use these.
Free · Use before any uncapped seed round
Free generator for YC SAFE docs (US, UK, Singapore) with built-in legal guidance. Better UX than raw YC templates.
Free · Built by Cooley LLP
Keep It Simple Security from 500 Startups — hybrid of SAFE simplicity with convertible note protections. Two versions: debt + equity.
Free · When investors want slightly more protection than a SAFE
Vanilla seed term sheet with plain-English annotations. Includes ESOP and offer docs. Compare incoming term sheets against this baseline.
Free · For traditional priced seed rounds
Free calculator to model SAFE and convertible note dilution across instruments and future priced rounds. Visual ownership charts.
Free · Use before signing any SAFE
SAFE dilution + cap table visualization. Pre/post-money modeling. Also has convertible note calculator.
Free tier sufficient · Premium for full valuations
16,000+ verified investor profiles. Built-in CRM, outreach tracking, manual CSV export. Multi-step verification on profiles.
Free · Most founder-friendly free option
Maps your Gmail + LinkedIn against 14,000+ VC relationships. Surfaces invisible warm-intro paths.
Free · 1 warm intro = 100x better than cold email
Operator-led syndicates returned 3.2x more capital than professional managers over 3 years. Tap angels and SPV leads.
Free to browse · Carry-based syndicate fees
Public deal data on companies, investors, rounds. Investor portfolios, past rounds, co-investors. Benchmark your round size.
Free tier exists but heavily restricted · Paid for serious research
Quarterly reports on seed-stage benchmarks: median valuations, discount rates, dilution by industry. The reality check.
Free · Winter 2025 published with a16z speedrun
Quarterly capital flow data. Q1 2026: $267B in deal value, but strip the top 5 and it falls 73%. Useful beyond headlines.
Free · Quarterly publication
Free quarterly venture trends + sector deep-dives (healthcare, fintech, AI). Q1 2026: Funding hit record $286B.
Free reports · Full platform requires subscription
Collaborative presentation software. Templates, real-time editing, version history. Built by team behind Wunderlist.
Freemium · Paid plans $8-20/user/mo
AI-powered presentation maker with auto-layout and Smart Slides. Generates professional-looking decks in minutes.
14-day free trial · Pro $12/mo annual
AI-first presentation + web builder. $2.1B valuation (Nov 2025), $100M ARR, 70M+ users. Series B led by a16z.
Free with credits · Paid plans available
AI assistant for Google Slides + PowerPoint. Generates content, outlines, speaker notes, custom themes.
Free 7-day trial · Pro $10/user/mo annual
Pitch deck sharing + investor engagement tracking (time spent, slides viewed, completion rate). Avg investor: 2-3 min, 58% finish.
Standard $45/user/mo · Use once you have a polished deck
Investor relationship hub. Templates for monthly updates, fundraising pipeline, KPI dashboards, integrated CRM.
Freemium · $50-150/mo for founders
Cap table + equity management. Tracks SAFEs, convertible notes, priced rounds, options, 409A valuations.
Free under $1M raised + 25 stakeholders · $1,200/yr Startup tier
Industry-standard cap table, employee equity, 409A valuations. Used by 50,000+ private companies. Feb 2026: 401(k) integration.
Free Launch tier · Paid from ~$3k/yr
Banking platform for startups raising. FDIC-insured. 300K+ customers, $3.5B valuation, processing $248B annually.
Free for most features · Premium treasury available
AI-powered R&D tax credit discovery + filing. 2026: $900M+ in credits claimed, average $768K per company. Non-dilutive runway.
Free assessment · Paid filing
Fractional CFO + accounting + fundraising advisory for VC-backed startups. 800+ clients. Strong YC and Sequoia relationships.
Paid: $8k-25k/mo · Most Series A startups $10-15k/mo
The canonical fundraising essay. Read it twice before you start. Comprehensive playbook for running a fundraise process.
Foundational · Still cited in YC materials
Investor psychology, narrative construction, emotional triggers. 1,000 words, distilled and practical.
Pair with "How to Raise Money"
Why FOMO works, why the second commitment is exponentially easier than the first. Why first money is hardest.
Published 2013 · Still relevant
Tactical guide: investor selection, deck structure, negotiation, post-raise. 900K+ subscribers. Templates included.
Free · Most comprehensive tactical guide available free
Step-by-step seed round mechanics: runway, investor lists, deal structure. Paywall removed.
Free · The starting point for first-time founders
Sequoia's distilled playbook on pitching to institutional capital. Storytelling structure, what investors actually care about.
Free · Part of Sequoia's public knowledge base
15+ years of essays from Upfront Ventures' GP. VC perspective on pitching, fundraising strategy, term sheet psychology.
Active 2026 · Key essays: "Land and Expand," timing dynamics
Definitive technical breakdown of VC term sheet mechanics. Economic terms, liquidation preferences, control rights.
Active · These essays became the basis for Venture Deals book
1.2M+ subscribers. 2x/week essays on startup execution. Regular fundraising deep dives.
Free + paid tiers · Active 2026
Daily VC newsletter tracking actual capital flows, deal activity, partner moves. Owned by TechCrunch.
Free tier · Tells you which fund had a partner move before LinkedIn does
B2B SaaS fundraising, VC trends, founder strategy. The best public source on what Series A looks like in 2026.
Free · SaaStr Annual 2026 conference May 12-14
Data-driven analysis of seed/Series A trends. 70+ articles in fundraising category. Recent: seed compression, AI fundraising.
Active 2025-2026 · Most quantitative VC blog around
20+ years of daily VC wisdom from Union Square Ventures. Twitter, Etsy, Coinbase investor. Daily posts since 2003.
Active 2026 · Search by tag: "fundraising" returns 100+ essays
Weekly interviews with leading VCs (Doug Leone, Bill Gurley). 3 episodes/week, recent through May 2026.
Free · Listen to partners at the funds you're targeting
Y Combinator's Dalton Caldwell + Michael Seibel. Tactical fundraising advice from the people who fund 200+ startups per batch.
Free · 40+ episodes · Recent series on ZIRP recovery, founder mode
Jason Calacanis interviews founders + operators on current fundraising dynamics. 1,300+ episodes.
Free · Active through May 2026
Four active VCs (Chamath, Calacanis, Sacks, Friedberg) discussing where capital is moving in 2026. 1M+ YouTube subscribers.
Free · Weekly episodes
625 episodes of deep founder studies. Rockefeller, Bezos, Musk. New companion: contemporary founder interviews (2026).
Free · Latest episode Jan 2026
Real founders pitch real investors for real money on tape. 74 startups funded, $26.3M deployed, 30M+ downloads.
Free · Latest episode March 2026
15 years of YC knowledge systematized. The canonical reference for early-stage founders. Includes Startup School videos.
Free · Beyond fundraising — hiring, product, sales, equity
First Round's curated collection of 100+ practitioner essays on raising capital effectively. Operator-led long-form.
Free · Also operates Pitch Assist program for Series A
The term sheet bible. 4th Edition (2022). Economic terms, deal structure, negotiation, legal mechanics. Free Spring 2026 course (32K+ enrolled).
Paid book · Free course companion
a16z managing partner demystifies how VCs evaluate founders and companies. VC decision-making, founder-investor dynamics.
Paid · Video edition on a16z available
Slide-by-slide breakdown of the seed deck YC partners want to see. Pair with DocSend research above.
Free · The structural template