A hand-picked list of accelerators, fellowships, grants, and competitions made for student founders. From YC to the Thiel Fellowship, these are some great places to start and grow your startup journey. Don’t know what those are? Totally fine. Just ask our team — we’ll explain, make introductions, help with applications, and cheer you on along the way.
Founder Fellowship for the -1 to 0 phase. $1M funding ($400K upfront + $600K guaranteed), elite SF/NYC community, no demo days.
Intern with KP-backed startups in the Bay Area. Fellows join a curated community, attend exclusive events with KP partners and founders, and gain hands-on startup experience.
Intern with BCV-backed startups in the Bay Area or New York City. Fellows join a curated community, attend exclusive events with BCV partners and founders, and gain hands-on startup experience.
$10K to skip work for a week and build. Meet founders of billion-dollar companies. Fast-track to Silicon Valley.
3-month hacker monastery in SF mansion. $500K investment, live with world-class developers building the future.
$100K uncapped SAFE with 0% equity. Remote program with access to 30+ unicorn founders.
The world's most prestigious accelerator. 3-month program, $500K investment, and access to the best founder network on the planet.
Early-stage accelerator providing $100K-$250K first checks and access to a 42,000 sq ft campus at Fort Mason, San Francisco. Build alongside ambitious founders in emerging tech domains.
3-month program for ~6 solo founders in SF. Housing provided plus office space. Build alongside peers.
Fellowship for hackers to start startups. $40K funding, Miami/SF based, return 10% above $4M earnings.
One-year program for students, dropouts, and grads to build something ambitious. Funding provided to take a year and focus on your project.
3-month mentorship-driven accelerator with programs worldwide. $120K investment and lifetime access to network.
Founder Fellowship for -1 to 0 phase. $400K upfront + $600K guaranteed in next round. No demo days, just deep support.
3-month live-in residency in SF mansion. $500K for 7% equity, work alongside world-class technical founders.
AI-native accelerator by Conviction VC. $150K uncapped SAFE, access to top AI companies and researchers.
$100K uncapped SAFE with 0% equity dilution. Remote program with access to 30+ unicorn founders.
Pre-idea accelerator for ambitious individuals. Find co-founders, validate ideas, and get funded from day zero.
$100K grant over 2 years to drop out and build. For founders under 23 working on breakthrough ideas.
$100K equity-free grant for one year. Open to all ages globally, build ambitious projects with OSV support.
$10K to skip work/school for a week and build. Virtual program with mentorship from billion-dollar founders.
Multiple programs: Meritocracy ($5.4K/month for HS grads), Defense Tech, and Startup Fellowship using AIP.
Engineering, design, and product fellowships at top Silicon Valley startups. Work at portfolio companies while in school.
Work directly with Bessemer partners and portfolio companies. 10-week summer program for undergrads interested in venture capital and startups.
Intern with BCV-backed startups in the Bay Area or New York City. Fellows join a curated community, attend exclusive events with BCV partners and founders, and gain hands-on startup experience.
Mentorship program by Ali Partovi (Neo VC). Connect with top tech leaders and accelerate your career.
Program for young AI builders. Access to Conviction's network of AI companies and researchers.
Three-month summer internship program placing undergraduates in engineering and design roles at 8VC portfolio startups. Work closely with world-class founders and engineers on meaningful technical problems.
Spring semester program working directly with NEA's investment team. Attend pitch meetings, conduct investment research, and develop market maps while learning venture capital fundamentals.
Additional $10K grants alongside fellowships. No separate application needed, selected from fellowship pool.
$100-$1,000 microgrants for creative projects. Open to all ages including students. No equity taken.
Non-dilutive funding for deep tech startups. Phase I: $275K, Phase II: $1M+ for R&D projects.
Fast grants for ambitious projects. Tyler Cowen's program for moonshots, no strings attached.
Grants and investments for young founders working outside the traditional system. No degree required.
Free incorporation plus $5,000 in AWS credits and discounts on 100+ tools for new startups.
$5K-$50K grants for open source AI projects. No strings attached, can be compute or cash.
$30K grant, 8 weeks, 0 equity. Build your wildest idea with support from Soma Capital's network.