NGEN, the NextGen Entrepreneurship Network, is thrilled to invite you to apply for our upcoming Ivy+ NGEN Founder Trek in NYC on Friday, April 24! This exciting day-long event will connect founders like yourself with some of the leading VC firms in NYC. Expect a dynamic mix of fireside chats with VCs, deep dives with portfolio founders, Q&A discussions, and networking opportunities at multiple VC offices. You will also spend the day connecting with other outstanding student founders on the trek, each representing top universities across our network.

Apply Here (Spots are limited!)

When: Friday, April 24 @ 9am to 7:00pm ET
Where: New York City (Multiple VCs)
Application Deadline: Monday, April 20 @ 11:59pm ET

Why You Should Apply:

• Connect with leading VCs in NYC and fellow student founders from the Ivy+ network

• Gain firsthand insights into successful founder/VC interactions through candid discussions

• Build lasting relationships with investors who could drive your startup forward

By applying, you’re confirming your availability for the full day, so be sure to clear your calendar if selected! Join us to meet inspiring VCs, learn what they’re looking for in companies they invest in, and get feedback on your pitch!

Apply Now by Monday, 20th!

Want more Funding Opportunities, Fellowships, & Startup Resources?

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, tools, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, startup resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

Are you an investor or startup ecosystem builder?

I am a 24-year-old entrepreneur and ecosystem builder who runs startup networks for 75,000 top student founders globally, spanning from high schoolers to PhD candidates. I’ve built systems and networks that have launched over 250+ Gen Z-run startups and facilitated seed rounds from $250K to multi-million-dollar rounds.

I’m always looking for people interested in collaborating to our founder networks! If you’re interested in working together, do grab some time below:

Let's Talk

Need help with GTM, getting ready to pitch your start-up or raising an investment round?

I also provide consultancy services to help start-ups become pitch- and investment-ready, drawing on my experience as a founder and VC scout.

I do free GTM / fundraising consultation sessions. Book a call with me to get feedback on your venture here (limited to 5 start-ups in May).

Book a GTM/Fundraising Consultation

NGEN is excited to announce both our upcoming Trailblazers Conference in NYC on April 17th and the $10K Pitch Competition in collaboration with Blue and Gold Ventures. NGEN is the Inter-Ivy League entrepreneurship network that brings together top student entrepreneurs from Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, NYU, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale.

This year’s conference will feature a keynote from legendary seed investor Howard Morgan, who made billions leading early rounds in Uber, LinkedIn, Roblox, and more, alongside panel discussions with top VCs, exciting founders, and industry experts.

We are also thrilled to announce a $10K pitch competition. Applicants will have the opportunity to win a $10K SAFE investment. Five finalist teams will pitch at the conference. Attendees from West Coast Universities will be permitted to pitch virtually (encouraged to attend in-person).

Previous attendees at our conference have generated millions in revenue and investment, gotten into top accelerators like YC and Techstars, gotten their startups acquired and been featured in national publications like Forbes.

• Final Application Deadline: Monday, April 6th, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

• Conference Date: Friday, April 17th, 2026

• Location: Midtown Manhattan, NYC, NY

If you’re eager to connect with the best of student founders , don’t miss out and apply now to be part of this incredible experience!

Apply Now

Or Apply for the Conference & Pitch Competition Here!

Want more Funding Opportunities, Fellowships, & Startup Resources?

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, tools, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, startup resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

Are you an investor or startup ecosystem builder?

I am a 24-year-old entrepreneur and ecosystem builder who runs startup networks for 75,000 top student founders globally, spanning from high schoolers to PhD candidates. I’ve built systems and networks that have launched over 250+ Gen Z-run startups and facilitated seed rounds from $250K to multi-million-dollar rounds.

I’m always looking for people interested in collaborating to our founder networks! If you’re interested in working together, do grab some time below:

Let's Talk

Need help with GTM, getting ready to pitch your start-up or raising an investment round?

I also provide consultancy services to help start-ups become pitch- and investment-ready, drawing on my experience as a founder and VC scout.

I do free GTM / fundraising consultation sessions. Book a call with me to get feedback on your venture here (limited to 5 start-ups in March).

Book a GTM/Fundraising Consultation

$20K Grants. $150K SAFEs. Rolling Moonshot Funding. Social Impact Grants. There are tons of startup grants for student founders available this March.

With so many grants and competitions setting their deadlines within March, I’ve felt compelled to write this and list them out for the many amazing founders in my network. Over the last couple of months, I’ve seen many students working in spaces adjacent to ventures and startups, from AI projects, experiments, or social impact initiatives.

If you’re one of them, this article is all about some of the grants, pitch competitions, and funding opportunities that are available to you to take what you’ve been working on to the next level, regardless of whether that’s through grants or investments. Some evaluate the readiness of exciting startup ideas, while others are geared towards helping social impact or non-profit projects get off the ground.

Here are five grants and competitions that you can check out right now!

1. a16z Speedrun Alpha

a16z’s speedrun Alpha program is selecting roughly 15 people out of 10,000+ applicants to spend 8 weeks this summer building a startup. The program provides $20,000 grants in hand, no equity taken, and a guaranteed final-stage interview for a16z speedrun funding afterward. Pre-idea founders and individuals without teams alike are welcome to join.

There are two tracks available:

• The Founder Track (the $20K grant, up to $250K investment if selected to move forward)

• The Joiner Track (placed as a founding engineer at a fast-growing a16z portfolio company).

Both tracks begin with a retreat kickoff and offer access to private hackathons, conversations with top a16z leaders, and more. They’re looking for individuals who have shipped products or projects before, a real problem you care about, and conviction. The first cohort begins in June with an application deadline of March 6th, 2026.

Apply before March 6th

2. Honors Fund $150K Virtual Pitch Competition

Specifically for students who are building while still in college (or those who have recently graduated), Honors Fund believes that university-based founders are systematically underestimated and underfunded, which led to the creation of a virtual pitch competition specifically for student founders. They’re selecting up to 10 applicants to pitch live in a virtual competition on March 24, 2026, with a $150,000 SAFE on a $2M post-money valuation up for grabs.

Honors Fund will adjust the valuation if you have prior traction or valuation history. They also share all the pitches with their global investor network, even for those who do not win. The application deadline is March 20, 2026, at 11:59 pm.

Apply by March 20th

3. Emergent Ventures

Run by economist Tyler Cowen out of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Emergent Ventures funds entrepreneurs, researchers, and thinkers with “zero to one” ideas. They look for moonshot ideas that may be interdisciplinary or exist in the intersection of traditional funding categories. There are no fixed grant amounts, no required business model, and no age ceiling (applications must be at least 13 years old). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from anywhere in the world.

What they’re looking for: highly scalable ideas that advance prosperity, opportunity, liberty, or well-being. They also support projects across various geographies worldwide, so individuals looking to make a global impact may benefit from checking it out.

Apply Now

4. EALA New Champions Fund

The Educating All Learners Alliance (EALA) runs an annual competitive sub-grant specifically for leaders working at the intersection of disability, education equity, and underserved communities. The New Champions Fund awards a $35,000 unrestricted grant along with a full year of mentorship support.

This one is specifically designed for those in the equity education movement who are actively working to support students with disabilities, including students from marginalized or low-income backgrounds.

Apply by March 6th

5. Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3)

The Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) has just opened its 2026 grant call for individuals creating impact in the capital markets, impact investing, entrepreneurship, or agriculture spaces. The program funds practical, action-oriented proposals that either get more catalytic capital deployed to investable opportunities, expand the pool of investors providing it, or both.

Grant requests of up to $150,000 are being considered, with a focus on field-ready solutions. They are looking for replicable mechanisms, reduced transaction friction, and new investor types entering the ecosystem. The process is two-step: first, a 1-2 page expression of interest, then a full proposal by invitation. Expressions of interest are due March 4.

Apply by March 4th

Want more Funding Opportunities, Fellowships, & Startup Resources?

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, tools, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, startup resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

Are you an investor or startup ecosystem builder?

I am a 24-year-old entrepreneur and ecosystem builder who runs startup networks for 75,000 top student founders globally, spanning from high schoolers to PhD candidates. I've built systems and networks that have launched over 250+ Gen Z-run startups and facilitated seed rounds from $250K to multi-million-dollar rounds.

I’m always looking for people interested in collaborating to our founder networks! If you’re interested in working together, do grab some time below:

Let's Talk

Need help with GTM, getting ready to pitch your start-up or raising an investment round?

I also provide consultancy services to help start-ups become pitch- and investment-ready, drawing on my experience as a founder and VC scout.

I do free GTM / fundraising consultation sessions. Book a call with me to get feedback on your venture here (limited to 5 start-ups in March).

Book a GTM/Fundraising Consultation

Having worked with lots of amazing founders through NGEN, the intercollegiate network that brings together over 20,000 student founders, one of the scariest decisions I’ve seen founders have to make is when they go from idea to company.

We often talk about what that looks from the product or customer point of view, but I often get lots of questions from founders about the technical aspects of actually incorporating their company. So for all those looking to take the leap and officially incorporate your company, here’s a step by step guide of how to do it in the most flexible, affordable and fastest way.

BONUS: NGEN just launched our NextSteps Pitch Competition, where we’re giving 50 founders $500 to help them take the “next steps” of their startup journey.

If you’re worried about costs, I’d highly recommend applying for it above. Our goal was to help startups cover their incorporation / early setup costs with the $500 (which should cover the initial costs of everything you see in this list along with exclusive discounts). Apply by Nov 10th or learn more at the end of this guide or on our website!

Step 1: Incorporate with Stripe Atlas

When I was incorporating my startup, I knew I wanted to start a Delaware C-Corp (the most common startup entity), but did not know how. One of the best services I found was Stripe Atlas, that fills out and files all the official forms that you need to get incorporated right away.

All you need to do is fill in their online form with the details of your company and its founders, and Stripe Atlas will auto-fill the actual documents that need to be processed and submit them with your approval.

The Stripe Atlas dashboard is also helpful to keep track of all of your progress, company info and documentation. Once you’re incorporation is approved, you will be able to download all of the documents (like your incorporation certificate + any other filings) from your dashboard. You don’t need Delaware residency, and can also explore the other incorporation types they offer as well. Just sign up, fill in their form, and Stripe’s team will handle the rest, handing you your incorporation documents, EIN, tax ID, and all.

In about a week, you’ll have your Delaware C-Corp legally incorporated and up and running!

Cost: Stripe Atlas usually charges $500 for their services. However, applicants of the NextStep Pitch Comp can receive a 30% discount. Learn how to redeem it here.

Step 2: Set Up a Virtual Address with Stable

One part of incorporating my startup that I didn’t realize I would need is a company mailbox. For a lot of student founders living out of dorms, it isn’t always ideal to have your college on file as the mailing address for your company. I was surprised that there were some documents that could only be physically mailed to me when incorporating.

I personally explored using Stable, a virtual mailbox that collects, scans and forwards physical mail to you at your discretion.

Stable gives you a professional U.S. business address and a digital mailbox, so every letter - from IRS forms to bank statements - lands neatly online and can be scanned or sent to you with the click of a button. They have a basic dashboard set up for you to view and monitor your physical mail and also email you when you receive new mail.

It takes less than an hour to set up with multiple location options across several states.

Cost: Stable’s plans start at $49/month, but they have a 50% discount available for early-stage startups (newly incorporated).

Step 3: Banking with Mercury

Mercury caters specifically to founders looking for a banking solution that is fast, reliable and easy to set-up — no minimum balances, no hidden fees, and a simple, modern dashboard to track your finances.

The sign-up process is all online, and if your company’s already incorporated via Stripe Atlas, Mercury can usually approve your account within a few hours. You can also start a Mercury account before receiving your EIN, so its built for you to get started with speed. This helps you be able to set up a working bank account within the day and get started with your startup.

Cost: Free! Setting up a Mercury account is free and takes less than 10 mins.

As our main partner for our NextSteps pitch comp, they are awarding $500 to the first 50 founders who sign up for a Mercury account through NGEN. Click here to set-up your Mercury account and receive your $500

BONUS: What else could you need?

I’ve only focused on the essentials here and what you absolutely must have to get started. However, here are some other tools and services that I/friends have used when incorporating that are easy to get started with that may help in creating your startup.

• Carta - Cap table and equity management platform that helps you issue shares, track ownership, and manage investor relations.

• Y Combinator’s SAFE Agreement - A simple, founder-friendly legal template for raising early-stage funding without negotiating complex terms. (Always check with your lawyer first!)

• WeWork - Flexible workspace provider offering desks, offices, and meeting rooms for startups that need a professional base.

We’re giving $500 to 50 Startups to Cover their Set-Up Costs

NGEN is looking to give 50 founders $500 & the opportunity to pitch to over 4-5 investors across New York City this November through our NextSteps Pitch Competition!

How does it work?
Our goal is to help your start-ups take the next step by making it easy to cover your most critical expenses after you’ve incorporated.

• First 50 applicants receive $500 just by applying! No strings attached! (You must have a free Mercury account for us to credit you).*

• 20 Semi-Finalists will win the opportunity to connect with 4+ top-tier VCs in their NYC offices during our NGEN Founder Trek in November.

• The Competition Winner will also win our $2,500 main prize to use towards their venture costs.

The competition is open to any founder that is currently incorporated or looking to incorporate within the United States. If you’re not incorporated yet, we have awesome partners like Stripe Atlas who provide loads of discounts and perks to get you set up!

Learn More + Apply by Nov 10th

Want more Funding Opportunities, Fellowships, & Startup Resources?

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, tools, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, startup resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

Need help with Fundraising or GTM?

I also provide consultancy services to aid start-ups in getting pitch/investment ready based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

Book a free GTM / fundraising consultation session with me to get feedback on your venture here (limited to 5 start-ups in November).

Book a GTM/Fundraising Consultation

I’ve once had a VC take up to 7 months since our initial meeting to make a decision. For many founders who are trying to raise venture funding, this is an unfortunate reality, as some venture funds are swamped with work and are unable to make fast decisions.

Over the years, I’ve come across a few VCs that have specifically taken the effort to ensure that they’re getting back to founders as fast as possible. After seeing a couple more pop up on my feed and hearing from founder friends about how useful it would be to know which funders would respond quicker, I decided to make this list of 3 VCs that are able to make investment decisions in a quick and timely way.

1. GoAhead Ventures

GoAhead Ventures has built its entire investment process around accessibility and speed. Instead of sending cold emails that disappear into VC inboxes, founders start by recording a one-way video pitch that their managing partners personally review.

If they’re interested, you’ll get a reply within three days with an invite to a full partner Zoom pitch. Then, by 5 p.m. PT the next day, they’ll let you know whether they believe you’ll be a fit for their firm. With a promised turnaround time of within a week, GoAhead Ventures is probably one of the fastest VCs I’ve seen that reaches their final decision as quick as possible.

Learn More + Apply

2. 2048 Ventures’s Pre-Seed Fast Track

2048 Ventures’ Pre-Seed Fast Track is exactly what it sounds like: a way for founders to go from intro to investment in under 10 business days.

The process starts with a short pitch form that leads to a 30-minutre Zoom call with their team if interested, and is followed by a one-hour deep dive with the broader team. From there, they speak to your early customers and references, and may even potentially fly out to meet you in person.

If everything aligns, they’re committed to issuing term sheet within 10 business days of your first meeting. They are typically looking for startups that are raising between $500K - $1.5M Pre-Seed in the fields of Vertical AI, Deep Tech, Health or Biotech.

Learn More + Apply

3. Hustle Fund

Hustle Fund (other than having a great name!) definitely is a fund that embodies and understands the “hustle” of early-stage founders. According to their FAQ, founders can expect a response within 24 to 48 hours after their first call, and the team can make an investment decision “within one to two meetings”.

The Hustle Fund team has built a reputation for being transparent, founder-first, and unapologetically efficient. Their thesis is simple: invest early, move quickly, and back founders who execute with intensity. Their team is also comprised of former founders who understand the challenges that come with running early-stage ventures.

Learn More + Apply

Want more Funding Opportunities, Fellowships, & Startup Resources?

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, tools, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, startup resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

Need help with GTM, getting ready to pitch your start-up or raising an investment round?

I also provide consultancy services to aid start-ups in getting pitch/investment ready based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

Book a free GTM / fundraising consultation session with me to get feedback on your venture here (limited to 5 start-ups in November).

Book a GTM/Fundraising Consultation

Hi everyone! Harsha here - If you’re new to this newsletter, other than being a founder and VC scout myself, I serve as the President of the Wharton Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Club (WUEC) and the Executive Director of NGEN, the Inter-Ivy entrepreneurship network that represents over 20,000 student founders working on cutting-edge start-ups across Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT, NYU, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale. Every week, I write about funding opportunities, startup resources or my thoughts on the venture and start-up ecosystem.

As mentioned, I’ve been fortunate to be both VC scout and founder - a dual perspective, I didn’t know I could have when I first started my entrepreneurial journey. Scouting for VCs continues to be a great asset that has helped me understand what VCs look for in startups, a perspective that vastly differs from how founders look at their own companies.

For all those looking at how they can gain such a perspective, or if you’re looking to break into VC as a career, student investment partner opportunities and fellowships are a great way to get started. Here are four opportunities worth knowing about if tapping into the world of VC is on your bucket list:

1. Dorm Room Fund’s Investment Partner Program

Dorm Room Fund is one of the most well-known student-run venture fund. For over a decade, they’ve been backing student and recent alumni founders across the U.S. and Canada. As an Investment Partner, you’ll spend 10–15 hours a week sourcing startups, sitting in diligence calls, and backing some of the strongest student-led companies out there.

They are looking for investment partners with energy, curiosity, and follow-through. If you’re the type of person who gets genuinely excited about founders and ideas, this is one of the few roles where you can actually make investments as a student.

Deadlines are coming up fast (September 11 for most regions, September 25 for SF/West Coast). Applicants go through coffee chats and a “Super Day” before offers.

Learn More + Apply

2. a16z’s American Dynamism Engineering Fellowship

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is one of the most well-known venture firms in the world, and their American Dynamism team is focused on sectors like defense, space, robotics, and industrials, also known as companies “building critical infrastructure for the future”.

The Engineering Fellowship is a 12-month, full-time program designed for technically strong candidates (usually STEM grads with 2–5 years of experience) who want to see the VC world from the inside. Fellows help the investment team evaluate emerging technologies, do technical diligence, and even work directly with portfolio companies on real engineering challenges.

This fellowship operates as a full-time position with $15K/month salary, full benefits, and a year embedded inside one of the most selective VC firms. At the end, fellows often move into portfolio companies, launch their own startups, or (in some cases) stay on the investment team.

Learn More + Apply

3. Inflect Capital’s Venture Fellowship

Inflect is a healthcare-focused fund backed by Vituity, a massive nationwide physician group. If you’re an MBA or MD student interested in venture, this is a chance to be right in the middle of health tech investing.

It’s a 10-week, paid fellowship where you’ll help with deal sourcing, diligence, portfolio support, and market research. You’ll also get to plug into their network of 8,000+ clinicians across the U.S., which makes this particularly valuable for anyone thinking about the intersection of medicine, entrepreneurship, and investing.

Applications are rolling, with interviews starting mid-September.

Learn More + Apply

4. Alix Ventures’s Venture Residency

Alix Ventures is a life sciences fund with one of the most selective student programs out there: their Venture Residency. They accept just two fellows per year (out of 4,000+ applicants), and every single past resident has gone on to either VC or startup roles post-program.

The Residency is a year-long, part-time program (~15 hrs/week) where you’ll do everything from evaluating investment opportunities to publishing thought leadership and interviewing biotech founders. The program is remote, comes with a $5K stipend, and includes direct mentorship from partners.

If you’re biotech-minded, this one’s especially interesting: alumni have gone on to firms like a16z, Dimension, and Foresite, or to found companies like Osmind and Zafrens.

Learn More + Apply

BONUS #5: Expop (Gen Z Startup Incubator) Internship Opportunity

Expop (the Gen Z startup accelerator I co-founded) runs a 6-month incubator helping high school students turn ideas into real ventures. Alongside that, we bring on interns, usually college students, to help us run our incubator and build and scale the platform.

Interns join one of three tracks: Tech (building product and launching features), Partnerships & GTM (audience growth, partnerships, outreach), or Platform Engagement (founder support, writing articles, making videos, designing workshops). It’s ~15 hours/week, remote, and fast-paced. You’ll work directly with our core team, engage with top executives from leading companies like Google, Slack, LinkedIn, and get a front-row seat to what it takes to scale ventures.

It’s a great fit if you want to be hands-on in building something from scratch, support early-stage ventures, while also impacting a global community of young founders. You can reach out to me personally at harsha@ascendancepro.com with any questions.

Learn More + Apply

Final Thoughts

Most students only hear about VC fellowships when it’s too late to apply. If you’re serious about startups, investing, or even just curious about how venture works, these programs give you early access and real experience that compounds over time. Even if you don’t end up in VC long-term, the network and skill set you’ll build here will carry forward into whatever you do next.

Want more Funding Opportunities, Fellowships, & Startup Resources?

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, tools, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, startup resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

Need help with GTM, getting ready to pitch your start-up or raising an investment round?

I also provide consultancy services to aid start-ups in getting pitch/investment ready based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

Book a free GTM / fundraising consultation session with me to get feedback on your venture here (limited to 5 start-ups in September).

Book Free Fundraising Consultation

With the Fall semester coming to start and lots of new (and aspiring!) student entrepreneurs arriving on campus, I thought it would be a good idea to start off this week with a quick recap of the major players in the student founder venture capital ecosystem. During my first year on campus, these were the first few major accelerators that I was pointed towards when I was looking to raise a VC round for my startup.

These are the essential “must-knows” for any early-stage founder who is looking to raise soon as they provide the prestige and capital needed to elevate your venture, give you a head start on GTM and signal to other investors the validity of your idea.

1. Y-Combinator

Y-Combinator - or as it’s glamorously known as YC - is probably the most popular on this list and is regarded as the accelerator. Having produced Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox, Doordash, and hundreds more household names, it’s highly viewed as the centerpiece of the early-stage startup ecosystem. Each year, YC runs four batches (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). Over 3 months, you’ll be thrown into an environment designed to immerse yourself in the startup world: weekly dinners with iconic founders, group and 1:1 office hours with YC partners, and a community where even your first 50 customers might come from fellow YC companies.

They invest $500,000 total - $125K for 7% equity through a SAFE. But the real value is the network. Through YC’s internal platform, you’ll have instant access to thousands of founders who are working on equally cool ventures. It’s also a major publicity boost to help launch your startup. Every batch ends with Demo Day, where hundreds of the top-tier investors in the world compete to fund you.

📅 Next Applications: YC runs applications year-round, with upcoming deadlines for each quarterly batch.

2. PearX

PearX is the definition of small but mighty. Each cohort is just ~20 companies, and over 12 weeks you’ll get hands-on help to build your venture. The Pear team helps you hire your first engineer, find your first customers, and even offers 6+ months of free office space in their 30,000 sq ft Pear Studio in Menlo Park.

They invest $250K–$2M, tailored to your needs, and boast that 90% of their PearX companies go on to raise institutional rounds. They also include great perks including over $1M in credits from partners like Microsoft, OpenAI, and AWS. Perhaps the most underrated part is the founder-to-founder mentorship, Pear’s partners have actually built and sold companies themselves, so they know the pain points of the earliest days.

📅 Next Applications: PearX Winter ’26 applications open August 28, 2025.

3. Techstars

Techstars is the global giant in the early stage startup space. With accelerators running across cities from New York to Singapore, Techstars has backed 3,500+ startups and helped them raise billions. Their 3-month program revolves around “mentor madness” that features hands-on guidance from industry veterans, paired with structured programming on everything from product-market fit to fundraising strategy.

Techstars offers a $220,000 investment package, plus perks and partner credits worth over $4M. The network is the real differentiator: once you’re in, you’re part of a worldwide alumni base, corporate partners, and investors that you can tap into for life. For first-time founders, this structure gives you a playbook to navigate the chaos of building a company while still in school.

📅 Next Applications: Techstars Spring ’26 accelerators are open now.

4. a16z Speedrun

Speedrun is Andreessen Horowitz’s accelerator, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from one of the most powerful VCs in the world: big checks, elite networks, and a laser focus on speed. Over 12 weeks, founders get up to $1M in direct investment, plus more than $5M in credits from AWS, GCP, OpenAI, NVIDIA, Stripe, Deel, and dozens of others.

What makes Speedrun unique is its operating team. You get in-house recruiters to help you hire, BD experts who can unlock partnerships with Fortune 500 execs, and marketing strategists who will help you launch campaigns and land press. They even help international founders with visas, relocation, and banking support.

📅 Next Applications: Current cohort is ongoing. Applications for the next one will be announced soon.

5. Dorm Room Fund

Dorm Room Fund (DRF) is literally built for student founders. Run by a team of student investors across the country, DRF has backed early versions of startups that later went on to raise tens of millions. They write $90K–$250K checks (targeting ~1.3% ownership), often as the first institutional money on your cap table.

You don’t need a polished MVP to apply — but you do need to show you’ve gone unusually deep into your idea, whether that’s user research, a demo, or a clear obsession with the problem. DRF’s community is the real win: you get plugged into a nationwide network of student founders, plus resources and investor introductions from the DRF HQ team. Designed for student founders, this is the only funding source on this list where at least one founder has to be a current student or have graduated in the last year.

📅 Next Applications: Rolling applications throughout the year.

If you’re serious about turning your campus project into a real company or raising a round of institutional capital for an existing startup, these accelerators are your launchpad. Most of them are also extremely receptive to student founders, so it’s worth a shot applying to.

They were definitely the most common ones I was recommended to check out when I was first exploring the startup ecosystem, and understanding how they operate and think about ventures will give you a great blueprint to figuring out the rest of the venture world.

Want More Resources?

I usually write about funding opportunities, startup tools and go-to-market strategy, but am always open to topic suggestions. If you’d like If you'd like to discuss your fundraising or Go-to-Market plans one-on-one, you can schedule a meeting here (5 slots left for next month). I’m happy to share my thoughts and tailored resources for you from my experiences as a founder + venture scout.

Book a 1:1 Chat

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, tools, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, startup resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

A Personal Update…

If you’re a high schooler who wants to go from 0 to 100 in your startup journey. This is for you!

As many of you know, I started my entrepreneurial journey at 13, launching Ascendance to help Gen Z turn their passions into real-world careers and solve problems in their communities.

Today, we’re working on our next big leap: expop — a 6-month challenge designed to help high schoolers learn about start-ups and launch their own ventures with expert guidance from industry leaders at Google, LinkedIn, HP, Slack, and more.

Over 6 months, we’re helping ambitious teens:
✅ Find a million-dollar idea worth building
✅ Build their prototype
✅ Learn directly from founders, investors & experts from Google, LinkedIn, and more
✅ Win awards, prizes, and launch real ventures

We invite any students, parents, educators, or those interested in joining our journey to sign up for our startup challenge at expop.io (Spots are limited)!

P.S. We’re also offering a limited number of internship spots to college students who want to support the venture ecosystem and learn about startups themselves. Reach out to harsha@ascendancepro.com for more info.

Learn More about Expop

With the explosion of new AI tools recently and their widespread adoption among founders, many of them them are quickly becoming must-haves for student founders building products fast. These tools enable student builders to have an extra edge: helping you ship faster, design better, and handle parts of the build you might not have the expertise or time for.

The best part? Many of them have generous free plans for students and early-stage startups. That means you can try, test, and launch without worrying about costs. Whether you’re deep into a startup, hacking at a weekend competition, or just experimenting with an idea, these offers can help you go from concept to prototype with minimal friction. Below is a list of valuable AI-related tools and resources that I came across with that have awesome free plans and offerings for students and early stage builders, along with how to claim them.

1. Cursor Pro - 1 Year Free Access

If you read my previous article on vibe coding and want to speed up your build timeline - Cursor’s 1 year free student promo is a great place to start.

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor designed to integrate AI assistance directly into the programming workflow. It provides intelligent code completion, context-aware chat that can answer questions about your codebase, and automated refactoring tools that can improve or restructure your code with minimal manual intervention. This makes it useful for building applications more efficiently, learning new languages or frameworks, and quickly iterating on prototypes. Cursor supports multiple programming languages and is built to work seamlessly with existing development practices, so it’s great for both new and experienced developers.

How to get it free: Cursor offers a one-year free subscription to Cursor Pro for verified students. Sign up using your academic email and complete their student verification process to unlock the full set of Pro features.

Learn More

2. Google AI Pro - Student Plan

Google AI Pro is Google’s collection of advanced AI tools — all in one place. You get access to things like Notebook LM for structured research, Flow for filmmaking, Whisk and Veo for image and video generation, Jules for coding help, and more. It’s not just for one-off tasks; you can use it to brainstorm, create, code, and even turn rough ideas into polished projects. For student builders, it’s basically a creative and technical ecosystem of tools that works across different formats and mediums.

How to get it free: Google offers Google AI Pro to students for a limited time. Just sign in with your student email to unlock the Pro features.

Learn More

3. Figma for Education

Figma is a collaborative design platform widely used for interface design, wireframing, and prototyping. It allows multiple users to work on the same design file in real time, making it a strong choice for student teams building projects together. With Figma, you can create detailed interface mockups, interactive prototypes for your startup. The Education Plan unlocks advanced features such as unlimited version history, private projects, and access to professional collaboration tools, enabling students to work with the same capabilities as professional design teams.

How to get it free: Apply for Figma’s Education Plan by verifying your student status through your academic email address or official enrollment documentation. Once approved, you’ll gain free access to Figma Pro features.

Learn More

4. Microsoft for Startups — $5,000 Azure Credits

If your project is at the stage where you need serious infrastructure ( hosting, AI model deployment, large-scale data storage), Microsoft for Startups is worth looking at. The program gives eligible founders $5,000 in Azure credits, which is more than adequate to run a production-ready prototype or test multiple ideas without worrying about cloud bills. Azure works well with most popular AI frameworks, so whether you’re training a model or building an AI-powered app, you’ll have the resources to scale beyond a demo.

How to get it free: Apply to the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub. Once you’re in, you’ll get the $5,000 in credits plus other founder perks.

Learn More

BONUS: GitHub Student Developer Pack

The GitHub Student Developer Pack brings together free offers from dozens of tools you’ll actually use: premium GitHub features, cloud hosting credits, API access, design software, even free domains. Think of this as an all-in-one toolkit for student developers. A lot of these tools now have AI capabilities built in, so you can go from code to deployment faster. It also includes lots of popular startup must-haves (like Notion!) that can help in the overall development of your venture. It’s the easiest way to get set up with the essentials for building and shipping a project without paying for subscriptions.

How to get it free: Apply using your school-issued email address or by submitting proof of enrollment. Once verified, you’ll gain access to all the included tools and offers for free.

Learn More

Individually, each of these tools can save you time, money, or both. Together, they give you almost everything you need to go from an idea to launch. Whether that’s a working prototype, a polished product, or just a project you’re proud to share, they mark a great start to get you off the ground.

Want More Resources?

I usually write about funding opportunities, startup tools and go-to-market strategy, but am always open to topic suggestions. If you’d like If you'd like to discuss your fundraising or Go-to-Market plans one-on-one, you can schedule a meeting here (5 slots left for this month). I’m happy to share my thoughts and tailored resources for you from my experiences as a founder + venture scout.

Book a 1:1 Chat

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, tools, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, startup resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

A Personal Update…

If you’re a high schooler who wants to go from 0 to 100 in your startup journey. This is for you!

As many of you know, I started my entrepreneurial journey at 13, launching Ascendance to help Gen Z turn their passions into real-world careers and solve problems in their communities.

Today, we’re working on our next big leap: expop — a 6-month challenge designed to help high schoolers learn about start-ups and launch their own ventures with expert guidance from industry leaders at Google, LinkedIn, HP, Slack, and more.

Over 6 months, we’re helping ambitious teens:
✅ Find a million-dollar idea worth building
✅ Build their prototype
✅ Learn directly from founders, investors & experts from Google, LinkedIn, and more
✅ Win awards, prizes, and launch real ventures

We invite any students, parents, educators, or those interested in joining our journey to sign up for our startup challenge at expop.io (Spots are limited)!

Learn More about Expop

Vibe coding has recently become all the rage, with almost every tech startup and VC discussing it and considering its impact on the startup ecosystem.

I will admit that it did take me quite a bit of time to sift through the jargon and really understand what vibe coding was and how it impacted me. In fact, I only really started taking it seriously when a friend in the non-profit space brought it up, sharing how they were using it internally to build software and systems that would have otherwise cost them a fortune.

"Almost everything can be built with vibe coding", she said. "I've even been using it to build a personal project that I would have never have otherwise started. Now I've got a full-blown prototype ready".

So, regardless of whether you're a startup founder, someone working in corporate or the non-profit space, or just someone who wants to see their own ideas become a reality, understanding vibe coding is more important than ever. I've personally spent the last couple of months exploring various vibe coding tools, tinkering with projects, and trying to understand this emergent space.

With that, I decided to write out some of my findings in this article as an introduction for anyone who wants to learn more about vibe coding. I'll be:

• Breaking down the main vibe coding tools that you've probably heard about in the news

• Ranking them in order of which is the most accessible to beginners

• Providing recommendations on where to start for people with different levels of expertise.

So… What is Vibe Coding?

Vibe coding lets you build software simply by describing what you want—in plain English - rather than writing code yourself. Coined by Andrej Karpathy in early 2025, it’s essentially “coding with vibes,” meaning your natural-language prompts guide the AI, which performs the actual coding.

The way that I think about it is like how you would use ChatGPT to write an email. You’d give it a prompt, it’ll generate a response, you respond with feedback, and the cycle of iteration continues until you’re satisfied. Vibe coding is similar; you prompt, receive an initial draft, and then keep iterating until you get what you want. Instead of a finalized email, your output is the finalized app, platform, or system that you desired.

Why it matters:

Y Combinator’s recent cohort saw 25% of its startups had codebases that were 95% AI-generated, showing us how leading VCs are beginning to think about vibe coding.

I was recently having a conversation with another friend of mine who is graduating with a CS degree soon and had not explored vibe coding himself. Our conversation centered on an upcoming project we were working on, which required some technical expertise. As we were chatting, I brought up some of these tools and showed him some past side projects I had been working on with them. His response?

"Well, there goes the 4 years I spent on this degree".

It’s important to note that the founders in the Y-Combinator example are still highly technical, so I’m not too worried about my friend’s job prospects (and personally as a startup founder, it’s nice to able to read and understand the code that’s going into our platforms and not having to worry it will crash). However, if you think about it, experts who know how to leverage these tools just get the added bonus of having some additional time saved, while beginners with big dreams have the tools to at least take the first step of building something.

Not all Vibe Coding Tools are Built Equal

Sorry, folks, there isn’t just one definition of what vibe coding is. The phrase refers to multiple ways people engage with AI to code and build things.

Instead, vibe coding tools exist on a spectrum. On one side, you've got tools like Lovable: you say what you want, it builds the prototype, and you tweak it. At the other end, there’s agentic coding where tools like Claude Code or Manus AI listen to a single goal, plan out the work, edit files, run tests, commit changes, and even deploy, mostly on their own. You step in only to supervise. Between those endpoints lies an entire range of workflows, each blending different levels of control, automation, and technical smarts.

Below is my suggested ranking, in order of technical expertise needed, of tools you can use to get started based on your own proficiency in coding:

1. Lovable

Lovable is what I think most non-coders think of when they hear the word “vibe coding”. It’s easily the most accessible if you have no prior coding experience and want to see any idea turned into reality in a quick, visual manner that you can interact with.

You just type in what your app should do, and Lovable builds it. For example, you might say, “I want a blog with login, comments, and a dashboard,” and it creates a full-stack app on the spot: frontend UI, backend logic, database, and even sets up GitHub deployment automatically.

Even if you don’t know what the terms “frontend” or “database” mean, just describe your idea. If you want to make a change, you respond to the AI agent again (e.g., “change the button color to blue” or “add an email field”), and it updates the code live.

• Skill needed: None to minimal

• Best for: People with ideas but zero coding experience who just want to see their concepts come alive.

• Personal note: I love how it was a browser-based tool (so you don’t have to download anything onto your laptop), however, I personally felt that their free trial credits were somewhat limited and didn’t get me to a place where I could fully see the extent it its capabilities

2. Replit

Replit’s agent is another awesome tool for beginners who want to have an AI agent do most of the heavy lifting. Similar to Lovable, you can open a chat, describe your app (“Make a to-do app with React and persisted storage”), and it builds the project, installs dependencies, spins up servers, runs tests, and even deploys for you. You can follow up with commands like “Add a filter feature” or “Connect to a database,” and it iterates live.

The main difference between Lovable and Replit, to me, is that Replit allows you to glimpse under the hood a little more and see what is the code it’s writting. You have access to adjust the code manually (if you want), compared to Lovable, where you don’t get to actively spy on the code that it’s writing.

• Skill needed: Minimal

• Best for: Beginners who want a fast path from idea to deployed prototype without touching local tools, but still have basic technical knowledge and want to see what the agent is doing in real time.

• Personal note: I personally like Replit because I feel like I still get to see the logical steps taken towards making something, and course-correct it. However, it does help to have some coding or technical background if that’s your goal, even if it’s just to understand the basic terms it uses.

3. Cursor

Cursor is definitely one of the more popular vibe coding platforms and is probably the platform that most of you have heard of. You prompt it in plain English, “create a login page” or “optimize this function”, and it writes or refactors code inline.

It’s important to note that it doesn’t build the full app or system for you. Cursor excels at generating and modifying code within your existing project, but it doesn't handle full app scaffolding or deployment on its own.

You can highlight code and ask for improvements, explanations, or bug fixes. You’re encouraged to edit, test, and tinker alongside the AI, growing your understanding. It supports multi-file coordination and keeps context across your project, so it feels more like an “assistant” instead of having AI build the entire system for you.

• Skill needed: Intermediate

• Best for: Learners ready to take control and guide the AI, but step in with your own edits and tests.

• Personal note: You’re going to need to know some coding before using Cursor. Unlike the earlier platforms, Cursor requires prior technical knowledge and serves as a helper to assist. Great if you’re trying to learn to code!

BONUS: ChatGPT for Code?

ChatGPT is probably the AI tool with which most people are most familiar. However, it doesn’t help with end-to-end creation and deployment* when you want to build something from scratch.

ChatGPT is great for on-demand coding. If you need help writing a specific piece of code, it can create a simple and easy string of HTML (or your coding language of choice). You type requests like “write a sorting function in Python” or “fix this loop bug,” it generates code, then you copy-paste it into your editor to run and debug. Unfortunately, as mentioned, you will still need other tools to turn code from ChatGPT into a functioning app or site.

For simple projects, you can try to ask for prompts like “Build me a simple website,” but after generating the code, you will need to figure out how to deploy it yourself. You can preview what your output can look like within chat, but you can’t deploy it directly.

• Skill needed: Entry to intermediate

• Best for: Beginners (who just want a few lines of code independently) or Intermediate (if you just need help with the code and can handle all aspects of deployment and integrations in a separate tool).

• Personal note: I personally recommend it to friends with no technical knowledge who are looking for one-off pieces of code for larger projects. If you need just 1 or 2 lines of code for a custom CSS or HTML section in another tool, it’s worth using ChatGPT. It also serves as a great learning platform for those who want to focus solely on learning code.

*It’s worth noting for beginners that the word “deploy” basically means to release your app to the public. Your version might work on your computer, but deployment makes it real (and available to others). It involves bundling your code, configuring it on a server or cloud setup, testing it, and launching it so people can actually use it.

Other Vibe Coding Tools

As I said, vibe coding exists on a continuum, so there are more complex tools available too. I wanted to focus this article on the tools available for beginners who want to explore vibe coding. That said, there are more powerful platforms aimed at experienced developers. Claude Code and Manus AI are two that stand out for those who can read, write, and understand code themselves, with, of course, a range of other tools available.

What You Should Be Worried About

Even though vibe coding lets you build apps lightning-fast, it does come with its own slate of concerns and risks. The few that I think most people should be aware of are:

• Security issues: AI-generated code often lacks proper input validation, sanitation, or encryption. AI often overlooks critical gaps that leave code vulnerable to hackers.

• Scalability problem: GitHub’s CEO warns that non-technical founders relying too much on vibe coding will eventually hit a wall when systems get too complex to maintain or scale. Similarly, some vibe coding platforms leave you contingent on their servers and infrastructure, leaving you tied to them in the long run.

• The infamous black-box dilemma: Code you didn’t write is harder to debug and adapt, so without a solid understanding of what’s under the hood, it can be hard to understand how they actually work or how to fix them when things break down.

I still think that it’s important to learn about vibe coding, at the very least, to understand how the startup ecosystem thinks about coding and building. It’s also an excellent tool for both dreamers and doers: it helps non-technical people create a bare-bones prototype of concepts they like, while it provides coders with tools to make their work go faster.

If this article was helpful…

Let me know in the comments if you’d like to learn more about vibe coding or other AI tools that are dominating the news or could make your life easier.

Would you like a part 2 of this article?

Or other useful tips for those who would like to start dabbling in vibe coding?

I usually write about funding opportunities and go-to-market strategy, but am always open to topic suggestions. If you’d like If you'd like to discuss your fundraising or Go-to-Market plans one-on-one, you can schedule a meeting here (or if you want recommendations on how to automate your day with AI). I’m happy to share my thoughts and tailored resources from my experiences as a founder + venture scout.

Book a 1:1 Chat

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, tools, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, startup resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

A Personal Update…

If you’re a high schooler who wants to learn more about vibe coding and what you can do with it. This is for you!

As many of you know, I started my entrepreneurial journey at 13, launching Ascendance to help Gen Z turn their passions into real-world careers and solve problems in their communities.

Today, we’re working on our next big leap: expop — a 6-month challenge designed to help high schoolers learn about start-ups and launch their own ventures with expert guidance from industry leaders at Google, LinkedIn, HP, Slack, and more.

Over 6 months, we’re helping ambitious teens:
✅ Find a million-dollar idea worth building
✅ Build their prototype
✅ Learn directly from founders, investors & experts from Google, LinkedIn, and more
✅ Win awards, prizes, and launch real ventures

We invite any students, parents, educators, or those interested in joining our journey to join our waitlist now at expop.io (Spots are limited)!

Learn More about Expop

With the hype around New York Tech Week growing with each passing minute, my dash has been overflowing with fun, exciting, and impactful events organized by friends, colleagues, and organizations that I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with in the past. On that note, I thought it would be helpful to put together a short list of my top three picks for entrepreneurs in my network who may have missed these exciting opportunities amid the swarm of events happening.

Here’s my unfiltered, highly biased, and not-at-all-comprehensive shortlist of events that caught my eye this #NYTechWeek.

🌍 Best for Social Innovators, Mission-Driven Builders & Those Exploring Hybrid Capital

Robin Hood Foundation’s Catalyst Demo Day

🗓️ June 3, 4:00PM – 7:00PM

As you may have seen me discuss before, I’ve been having numerous conversations with friends from both the VC-backed start-up ecosystem and the non-profit world about hybrid capital and funders that provide support at the intersection of profit and purpose.

Robin Hood’s Catalyst program is an excellent example of a hybrid approach to startup funding that does just that. It has been backing bold social entrepreneurs for the past five months, culminating in this upcoming Demo Day.

Whether you’re a social entrepreneur or not, I truly believe it’s an event worth exploring for entrepreneurs and funders alike who want to learn more about the power of hybrid funding and alternatives to both traditional venture capital and non-profit funding.

Learn More + RSVP

🎓 Best for Student Founders

From Campus to Unicorns — Hosted by The MBA Fund & Lowenstein Sandler

🗓️ June 4, 6:30PM – 8:30PM

If you’re a student founder, I cannot recommend this event enough. It features Abe Kwon, who practices startup law at Lowenstein Sandler, and is a rockstar in the start-up ecosystem. Abe has been an incredible support to me, as well as to many other student founders I look up to, when navigating the legal and technical challenges of launching a venture.

This panel dives deep into the early journey, from lecture halls to cap tables. It’s great for anyone still on campus or recently graduated, navigating the transition from ideas to implementation. The MBA Fund has definitely been a pioneer in supporting students on this journey, and I have no doubt that they’ll be bringing brilliant stories, insights and best practices to the table, so make sure to join in and stay for the networking after.

Learn More + RSVP

🚀 Best AI Event

OpenAI Hackathon + Evening Reception

🗓️ June 5, 10:00AM – 7:00PM

This one feels like a no-brainer, so make sure you apply to be there.

On June 5th, OpenAI is pulling together NYC’s sharpest pre-seed builders for a full-day hackathon in Soho — hands-on building, real-time feedback from the OpenAI team, and a shot at $25,000 in OpenAI credits. Finalists get to showcase their work at the reception that evening, complete with live demos, founder mingling, and possibly a few surprise appearances.

Whether you’re an aspiring technical founder who wants to get on OpenAI’s radar through the hackathon or if you just want to drop in for the reception later in the day, the door is open for you to shoot your shot.

Learn More + RSVP (Hackathon)

Learn More + RSVP (Reception)

Closing Thoughts

As someone who’s always worried I’m missing out on something important, I think the best thing I’ve ever done is focus on what my goal is for an event like NY Tech Week: What are the topics I’m most excited to explore? Who exactly are the people I’m looking to meet with?

This article is by no means a comprehensive list, and you should definitely explore all that the week has to offer on their official calendar. With that said, these are the topics that stood out to me the most - I hope you find the ones you’re looking for and have an amazing week ahead!

A Personal Update…

As many of you know, I started my entrepreneurial journey at 13, launching Ascendance to help Gen Z turn their passions into real-world careers and solve problems in their communities.

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce our next big leap: expop — a 6-month challenge designed to help high schoolers learn about start-ups and launch their own ventures with expert guidance from industry leaders at Google, LinkedIn, HP, Slack, and more.

Over 6 months, we’re helping ambitious teens:
✅ Find a million-dollar idea worth building
✅ Build their prototype
✅ Learn directly from founders, investors & experts from Google, LinkedIn, and more
✅ Win awards, prizes, and launch real ventures

We invite any students, parents, educators, or those interested in joining our journey to join our waitlist now at expop.io (Spots are limited)!

Learn More about Expop

More opportunities and insights weekly!

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, start-up resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

If you'd like to discuss your fundraising or Go-to-Market plans one-on-one, you can schedule a meeting here. I’m happy to share my thoughts and tailored resources from my experiences as a founder + venture scout.

Book a 1:1 Chat

As always: If you have any suggestions for future articles or lists, please feel free to comment on them below!

I always tell VCs that Summer is the time that the student entrepreneurship ecosystem truly flourishes. With classes finally wrapped up, student founders have more time than ever to start growing and scaling their startup before the Fall begins, while others who are new to the world of entrepreneurship have the space to test and try out ideas that they may not have had time to pursue previously.

This article is for everyone who’s been tinkering around with an idea and is looking at how they can launch it over the next few months. If that’s you, here are three funding opportunities that can turn your late-night brainstorm into something real.

1. Afore Capital’s $1,000 “No Excuses” Grant

Afore Capital’s microgrant is exactly what it sounds like: $1,000 to explore an idea this summer. No strings, no dilution, and no pressure to build a billion-dollar unicorn (yet). Just room to think, experiment, and maybe stumble into something brilliant.

Here’s what makes it special:

• 12 weeks of mentorship from actual investors and operators

• Office space in SF if you’re nearby

• Weekly founder talks and the option to join a demo day

• Open to anyone in North America, 21 or under

Apply before May 26 or June 23 to join the June or July cohorts, respectively.

Learn More + Apply

2. Google’s AI Futures Fund

If you’ve been hacking with GPTs, playing with Cursor, or imagining your own AI-powered startup, this one’s for you. Google’s AI Futures Fund is less “here’s some money, go build” and more “here’s a backstage pass to the future of AI.” Google’s AI Future Fund, by Google Labs, offers access to their cutting-edge technology and mentorship with their researchers and engineers to build your dream AI project.

You get:

• Early access to DeepMind’s bleeding-edge models (Gemini, Imagen, Veo)

• Mentorship and collaboration with Google’s actual researchers and engineers

• Cloud credits + infrastructure support to actually scale

• And yes, equity funding is available if things go well

They’ve already backed projects from AI comic translators to meme generators to virtual 3D room designers. If you’re building something that could benefit from the support of an established player in the AI space and the tools at their disposal, I would seriously consider Google’s program.

Learn More + Apply

3. The Amber Grant – For Women Who Dare to Dream

There’s something quietly powerful about the Amber Grant. It’s not backed by a tech giant. It doesn’t come with office space or demo days. But it does come with something often missing from the start-up world: heart.

WomensNet created this grant in memory of Amber Wigdahl, a 19-year-old who passed away before getting the chance to launch her business. The grant exists to make sure other women don’t have to wait.

Here’s how it works:

• Every month, three women-owned businesses get $10,000

• At year-end, three of those recipients are awarded $25,000 more

• One simple application gets you considered for all of it

Whether you're selling hand-grown greens, launching an eco bandage, or building the next big thing—if you're a woman with a dream, this grant is for you. They’re theme for May is “Mental & Emotional Support”, so if you’re building in the space, it’s definitely worth checking out!

Deadline for this round: May 31st

Learn More + Apply

As someone who loves side-questing, it can be hard to imagine what the next steps are to take your project from side-quest to start-up. Each of these three opportunities represents a different path and type of support that is available for those trying to build this Summer. Whether it’s through VC, tech giants, or the community itself, there are tons of opportunities this Summer for you to pursue the projects that you are passionate about.

A Personal Update…

As many of you know, I started my entrepreneurial journey at 13, launching Ascendance to help Gen Z turn their passions into real-world careers and solve problems in their communities.

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce our next big leap: expop — a 6-month challenge to help high schoolers learn about start-ups and launch their own ventures with expert guidance from industry experts from Google, LinkedIn, HP, Slack, and more.

Over 6 months, we’re helping ambitious teens:
✅ Find a million-dollar idea worth building
✅ Build their prototype
✅ Learn directly from founders, investors & experts from Google, LinkedIn, and more
✅ Win awards, prizes, and launch real ventures

We invite any students, parents, educators, or those interested in joining our journey to join our waitlist now at expop.io (Spots are limited)!

Learn More about Expop

More opportunities and insights weekly!

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, start-up resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

If you want to chat 1:1 about your fundraising or Go-To-Market plans, you can book a slot here. I’m happy to share my thoughts and tailored resources from my experiences as a founder + venture scout.

Book a 1:1 Chat

If you have any suggested topics for future articles or lists, please feel free to comment on them below!

With Summer approaching, I’ve been getting a few emails from friends who are looking for funding sources to allow them to work on their ventures full-time over the next couple of months. As many of them are not yet ready to raise a full pre-seed or seed round, I made a quick list of several other funding sources for founders looking for capital to experiment and validate their ventures.

Here are three funding opportunities that combine equity-free grants, office space, and resources to support founders over the Summer.

1. Human Capital Fellowship

Offering $50K per founder (up to $250K per team), Human Capital’s fellowship is designed for exceptional founders ready to tackle massive problems. No strings attached, no equity taken. It's about empowering you to focus on building, not fundraising.

• $50K per team member, up to $250K total

• Assistance with customer discovery, including scheduling calls

• 24/7 access to a San Francisco office space

There's no requirement to have a fully formed business idea; the focus is on your potential and drive. While there's no obligation to accept further investment, Human Capital may offer additional funding if there's mutual interest. The deadline for applications is May 18.

Learn More + Apply

2. Soma Scholars by Soma Capital

What if you had the freedom to explore your most ambitious ideas without the pressure of immediate monetization? Soma Scholars (by Soma Capital) offers a $30K grant to do just that. Whether you're delving into deep tech, launching a creative project, or researching a groundbreaking concept, this program provides the resources and community to support your journey.

• A $30K grant to pursue your project over the summer

• Access to an 8,000 sq ft office in NYC or SF

• Daily events, meals, and a community of like-minded individuals

Regardless if you're developing a new technology, conducting research, or exploring unconventional ideas, Soma Scholars provides the resources and environment to support your endeavors. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with the cohort beginning on June 2nd.

Learn More + Apply

3. NextGen Foresight Fellowship (NGFP)

For those envisioning transformative futures, the NGFP Fellowship offers a platform to bring those visions to life. Targeting young professionals (18-35) at the beginning of their foresight journey, this program provides a $1K initial grant, mentorship, and the opportunity to win a $10K prize. It's about more than funding—it's about joining a global community committed to shaping a better tomorrow through strategic foresight and collaborative action.

• A $1K grant to initiate their project

• A year-long fellowship with mentorship and community support

• Training in foresight methodologies

• Eligibility for a $10K prize at the end of the fellowship

This program is ideal for those who aim to create systemic change and envision alternative futures in areas such as climate, democracy, and emerging technologies. Applications close on July 31st.

Learn More + Apply

Final Thoughts

Securing funding doesn't always mean giving up equity. These programs offer support to help you build and refine your ideas without compromising ownership. If you're ready to take the next step in your entrepreneurial journey, consider applying to one of these opportunities.

A Personal Update…

As many of you know, I started my entrepreneurial journey at 13, launching Ascendance to help Gen Z turn their passions into real-world careers and solve problems in their communities.

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce our next big leap: expop — a 6-month challenge to help high schoolers learn about start-ups and launch their own ventures with expert guidance from industry experts from Google, LinkedIn, HP, Slack, and more.

Over 6 months, we’re helping ambitious teens:
✅ Find a million-dollar idea worth building
✅ Build their prototype
✅ Learn directly from founders, investors & experts from Google, LinkedIn, and more
✅ Win awards, prizes, and launch real ventures

We invite any students, parents, educators, or those interested in joining our journey to join our waitlist now at expop.io (Spots are limited)!

Learn More about Expop

More opportunities and insights weekly!

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, start-up resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

Subscribe now

If you want to chat 1:1 about your fundraising or Go-To-Market plans, you can book a slot here. I’m happy to share my thoughts and tailored resources from my experiences as a founder + venture scout.

Book a 1:1 Chat

If you have any suggested topics for future articles or lists, please feel free to comment on them below!

Recently, I’ve noticed an interesting rise in more experimental programs for entrepreneurs that enable pre-idea and pre-traction founders to receive capital to iterate on their ideas rapidly. “Sprints” have been the recent one on my radar that I think has the potential to bring lots of value to entrepreneurs.

Think of them as short, high-intensity programs designed to help you validate your startup idea fast. You get a little funding, a lot of support, and a structured runway to figure out if your idea is worth building. Whether you're testing an MVP, talking to users, or just trying to move from zero to one, these sprints give you the capital and resources to get started.

Here are three “sprints” for entrepreneurs seeking funding to validate and test their ideas!

1. Forum Foundry by Forum Ventures

Forum Foundry is a zero-to-one sprint for B2B SaaS founders. Over 4 weeks, you'll receive a $2,500 stipend to validate your idea, engage with potential customers, and leverage AI tools. At the end, you have the opportunity to pitch for $200,000 in pre-seed funding. It's an intense, focused program to help you move quickly from concept to conviction. Participants gain access to AI-powered startup tools, mentorship from seasoned founders, free NYC office space, and a community of high-caliber peers.

The program focuses on founders who aim to build the next generation of B2B companies, especially those that leverage AI from day one in fields like fintech, healthtech, the future of work, and more.

Important Dates: Applications are due May 2nd, 2025

Learn More + Apply

2. Character Labs by Character VC

Character Labs is a four-week sprint program tailored for pre-seed AI startup founders aiming to achieve product-market fit. Led by the creators of the original Design Sprint, it combines intensive, hands-on sprints with immediate funding and mentorship. Participants receive a $125,000 investment upon admittance to the program.

The program kicks off with a 3-day in-person session in San Francisco, followed by remote participation. It's optimized for AI startups but open to all software products and software-enabled services.

Important Dates: Applications for the next cohort are due by April 27, 2025. The program begins on June 4, 2025.

Learn More + Apply

3. Speedrun by a16z

For those at a slightly later stage, Speedrun is Andreessen Horowitz’s no-nonsense program for early-stage builders in AI. It’s 8 weeks, fully funded, and designed to take you from raw idea to fundable startup at speed.

What makes Speedrun special is how much signal it packs into such a short time. You get directly plugged into the a16z network, build shoulder-to-shoulder with world-class founders, and emerge with something tangible. This 12-week program is perfect for builders at the intersection of tech, entertainment, and AI—especially those creating tools, experiences, or platforms that shape the future of AI and creative landscapes. a16z selects start-ups for the program with the intention of providing an up to $1 million investment per company.

Important Dates: Applications are due May 11, 2025, and the program will run from July 28 to October 10, 2025.

Learn More + Apply

Have more questions about the fundraising process?

Need help getting ready to pitch your start-up or raise an investment round?

I also provide consultation services to help start-ups prepare for pitching or investment based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

Book a free fundraising consultation session with me here to get feedback on your venture (I’ve opened up five slots for March).

Book a Free Consultation

More opportunities and insights weekly!

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, start-up resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

If you have any suggested topics for future articles or lists, please feel free to comment on them below!

Subscribe now

I’m writing this feeling energized after a week at the Skoll World Forum, where we saw one of the largest convenings of social entrepreneurs, innovators, and funders. Events like the forum are brilliant opportunities for the top game changers in a field to come together and swap ideas, resources, experiences, and connections.

Thinking of my friends in the tech and start-up spaces, they, too, have many exciting opportunities coming up soon to experience the magic of having some of the brightest people in a room together. Hence, this week, I’m talking about four must-attend events you can’t afford to miss this Spring:

1. The Trailblazers Conference’s Post-Conference Mixer by Series

If you’re an entrepreneurial mind looking to connect with the brightest university students, leading entrepreneurs, and top investors, the Trailblazers Conference is where you need to be. Hosted by NGEN, this conference brings together a community of passionate founders, venture capitalists, and thought leaders from across the globe - all focused on supporting student founders working on cutting-edge ideas.

This year, for all those who couldn’t attend the main conference itself, Series, a start-up in the NGEN community, is hosting a post-conference mixer for top entrepreneurs around the area. Series has been with us since our very first conference and recently closed its $3 million seed round for its AI networking platform (Congrats, guys! This is definitely a testament to the type of entrepreneurs you’ll meet at the event).

Starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night, 80+ of the best entrepreneurs from top universities on the East Coast will convene. This is shaping up to be a can’t-miss event for those in the entrepreneurship space. Space is limited, so make sure you RSVP as soon as possible!

RSVP Here (Limited Seats!)

2. NYC Fintech Week

Fintech is taking the world by storm, and NYC Fintech Week is the epicenter of this revolution. Organized by Empire Startups, this event brings together founders, investors, and executives from the financial technology space to explore new trends, discuss challenges and create solutions.

Whether you're in payments, digital banking, or wealth management, this week-long sprint from April 21st to 25th will feature insightful panels, networking opportunities, and deep dives into emerging fintech innovations. For anyone looking to navigate the rapidly changing landscape of finance and technology, this is the perfect opportunity to gain industry-specific knowledge, connect with potential partners, and discover new opportunities to scale your business.

View Events + Sign Up

3. Founders NYC Summit

If you're contemplating launching a startup or are in the early stages of your entrepreneurial journey, Founders NYC is an event tailored for you. Scheduled for May 9 in New York, NY, this free, day-long summit is a collaborative effort by BoxGroup, First Round Capital, Lux Capital, and Union Square Ventures.

It's designed to unite top talent, shaping the future of New York City's tech ecosystem. Attendees will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, connect with like-minded builders, and gain insights from influential voices in tech. The speaker lineup includes notable figures such as Olivier Pomel of DataDog, Dev Ittycheria of MongoDB, and Neil Blumenthal of Warby Parker, among others.

Whether you're actively founding or just startup-curious, this summit offers a unique platform to immerse yourself in the city's vibrant tech scene with some of the best entrepreneurs and VCs in the ecosystem.

Learn More + Apply

4. The OOO Summit

Set for May 16 in Queens County, New York, The OOO Summit is the flagship event for “Owners, Operators, and Outliers” and an excellent space for those at every level of the entrepreneurship space to convene and connect.

Hosted by Carry and expert connector Andrew Yeung, this summit is crafted for those aiming to elevate their businesses, careers, and networks. The event boasts a stellar speaker lineup, including Sahil Bloom, a New York Times Best-Selling Author; Andrew Yang, founder of Venture for America; and Simran Kaur, founder of Girls That Invest.

Programming spans from a kickoff party on May 13 to the main event on May 16, featuring keynotes, panels, and workshops designed to provide actionable insights and foster game-changing connections. Whether you're a bootstrapped founder or a venture-backed CEO, The OOO Summit offers invaluable resources to propel your entrepreneurial journey forward.

Learn More + Apply

Conferences, events, and networking sessions have always been the underrated superpowers that help your start-up grow. I’ve derived so much value from just being at these events and sharing about my start-up's work. The main reason for this is that it gathers together all the people who you want to talk to in your industry but otherwise may not even know exist.

Need help crafting your pitch or finding out how to curate your event schedule for your GTM strategy or fundraising?

I also provide consultation services to help start-ups prepare for GTM, applications, pitching, or investment based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

Book a free fundraising consultation session with me here to get feedback on your venture (5 slots available for April).

Book a Free Consultation

More opportunities and insights weekly!

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on events, funding opportunities, start-up resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

If you have any suggested topics for future articles or lists, please feel free to comment on them below!

Subscribe now

Every couple of weeks, I hear from one of my amazing friends who is organizing brilliant events and opportunities for the intercollegiate entrepreneurship community.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to finally polish up that slide deck, shoot your shot, and build the thing — this is it.

Below are a few of the most interesting pitch competitions and hackathons that recently landed on my desk. Whether you're still figuring out your idea, have already raised a friends-and-family round, or just want to build something interesting from scratch, there’s a little something for everyone here.

1. Critical Venture’s University Impact Prize

Critical Ventures is an early-stage VC firm that supports students in building real solutions to major global issues—think climate, health, and economic mobility. Led by an inspiring team of Gen Z’s themselves, it’s backed by a $5M fund and supported by individuals who have long led the venture, philanthropy, and academic landscapes.

This semester, they’ve launched their inaugural University Impact Prize, with a total of $125,000 in funding and support up for grabs. They’re partnering with Michael Baum (founder of Splunk, $28B exit) and judges from firms like Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst, and Lowercarbon Capital. Their goal? Support college founders working on what they call “critical problems” and give them a serious launchpad.

I have personally been incredibly impressed by their vision, energy, and love for supporting collegiate entrepreneurship, and I would definitely recommend any serious founder to apply.

Apply by April 16th

2. Brown Entrepreneurship Program’s Collegiate Entrepreneurship Awards

Brown’s EP (Entrepreneurship Program) is one of the amazing student organizations I’ve had the pleasure to get to know through the NGEN network. They’ve teamed up with Jonathan Speed, co-founder of LongJump AI and a Venture Partner at Waterman Ventures, to launch a pitch competition that’s open to college founders from around the world .

The Collegiate Entrepreneurship Awards aim to level the playing field, bringing visibility and resources to startups that might not have the same institutional support. The format is simple: submit a 3–4 minute video using the LongJump platform, and finalists will pitch live at a virtual event on April 12th. There’s a $10,000 prize pool (cash and in-kind) and a People’s Choice category where students can vote on their favorite pitch.

They’re capping it at 60 entries, so if you’ve got a student-founder project or know someone working on something meaningful — this is a good reason to record that pitch.

Apply by April 4th

3. H*QUOTIENT’s Neurotech Hackathon

H*QUOTIENT is building a deep tech community for college students who are interested in things like brain-computer interfaces, cognitive enhancement, neuromodulation, neurofeedback, neuroeducation platforms, and more. Their team is made up of student researchers, builders, and tinkerers across top universities, with advisors from academia, industry, and venture.

This April 26th, they’re launching their first-ever Neurotech Hackathon in Boston. You can expect a mix of software ideation, rapid prototyping, and hardware experiments for people who want to build the future of science. If you are curious about the intersection of neuroscience and technology and down to collaborate on something experimental, this is the place to be.

There will be prizes, expert mentorship, and a crowd of people who are thinking very far outside the box.

Learn More + Apply

4. Launch Yard’s Yardwork AI Hackathon

Launch Yard is a grassroots group of builders, operators, and technical founders in Boston who have hosted underground meetups, startup sprints, and more. Their recent project, Yardwork, is an AI Hackathon with a singular rule: “only cool ideas.”

Held on April 12th in Boston, Yardwork has multiple tracks that intersect with AI, including Scientific Discovery, Stablecoins and the Future of Money, Cybersecurity, AR/BCI/Hardware, Agents, and a general track.

If you’re in or near Cambridge and want to meet sharp people building cool AI things, this event is worth attending.

Learn More + Apply

5. Yale Undergraduate Quantum Computing’s Y Quantum Hackathon

Y Quantum is Yale’s premier quantum computing hackathon, building an ecosystem for student founders interested in quantum computing and adjacent deep tech verticals. Led by the Yale Quantum Institute, a global leader in quantum research and beyond, the event attracts the best and the brightest in the field who are interested in the advancement and application of quantum algorithms, computing, software, and more.

Held on April 12th and 13th by Yale Undergraduate Quantum Computing, this premier event is a must-attend for individuals passionate about the industry.

Apply by March 31st

Pitch competitions and hackathons have been an exciting way for individuals to be able to get in front of industry leaders with their ideas and expertise. Regardless of the stage, you are in on your entrepreneurship journey; they are a great opportunity to put yourself out there.

Need help with your GTM strategy, fundraising, or pitching your start-up?

I also provide consultation services to help start-ups prepare for GTM, applications, pitching, or investment based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

Book a free fundraising consultation session with me here to get feedback on your venture (5 slots available for April).

Book a Free Consultation

More opportunities and insights weekly!

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, start-up resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

If you have any suggested topics for future articles or lists, please feel free to comment on them below!

Subscribe now

I’m truly fortunate to serve as Co-President of the Wharton Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Club, which has a spectacular line-up of exciting events happening this week.

Given that this marks the beginning of my second week back on campus at the University of Pennsylvania, I thought it would be a great idea to share some of the amazing events that are happening on campus this week for our entrepreneurship community.

If you're an entrepreneur at UPenn looking to build connections, gain insights, and push your startup to the next level, this week is packed with events that are must-attend. Whether you’re seeking advice from industry leaders, learning from successful VCs and entrepreneurs, or gearing up for the opportunity to pitch your startup and raise your next funding round, these events are the perfect chance to engage and grow.

Here are three game-changing opportunities happening this week:

1. Fireside Chat with Josh Kopelman, Founder of First Round Capital

Josh Kopelman is a name that needs no introduction. As a pioneer in early-stage investing, Josh co-founded First Round Capital—the VC firm that’s backed disruptive companies like Uber, Warby Parker, and Notion. His track record speaks volumes about his ability to spot potential and foster the growth of companies that shape industries.

On March 25th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in JMHH G60, Josh will hold a fireside chat to share his insights on early-stage investing, what it takes to scale a startup, and the evolving landscape of venture capital. This is an unmissable opportunity to learn from one of the most influential venture capitalists of our time.

Whether you’re building a tech startup, exploring new markets, or simply passionate about the world of venture funding, this is the perfect chance to ask questions, gain insider knowledge, and hear firsthand how Josh has helped shape the startup ecosystem.

RSVP Here (Seats Limited)

2. Fireside Chat with Mark Kaufman, EVP of Warner Bros Theatre Ventures

On March 28th, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 pm, Mark Kaufman, the Executive Vice President of Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, will be gracing us with a conversation that promises to inspire entrepreneurs with a passion for entertainment, media, and creative industries.

Mark has worked on major Broadway hits like Beetlejuice and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and played a key role in productions like Elf and The Notebook. His perspective on how the entertainment world has evolved and the business behind those iconic productions will undoubtedly provide valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and individuals looking to navigate the entertainment and creative sectors.

Expect candid insights on how to bring a creative vision to life, the challenges of large-scale productions, and the intersection of entrepreneurship with show business.

RSVP Here (Seats Limited)

3. NGEN’S Inter-Ivy League Trailblazers Conference

For any ambitious entrepreneur, the Trailblazers Conference is a golden opportunity. Hosted by NGEN, this event will bring together some of the brightest minds in entrepreneurship, venture capital, and tech for an exciting 2-day event on April 11th and 12th in New York City. If you’re looking to connect with fellow university students, leading entrepreneurs, and top investors, the conference is the place to be.

The lineup of speakers is world-class: Geoff Ralston, former President of Y-Combinator; global executives from companies like TikTok, Snapchat, IBM, and more; and top investors and start-up founders who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

With panels, workshops, networking sessions, and a student startup showcase, this conference is designed to help you refine your pitch, gain insights from industry experts, and build connections that will last a lifetime.

Apply Now by March 28th

These three events offer an unparalleled opportunity to connect with industry leaders, learn from those who’ve built and scaled successful businesses, and take your entrepreneurial journey to the next level. Make sure to show up and join us for these exciting events happening this week and that you’re filling in the applications due ASAP!

Need help with your GTM strategy or getting ready to pitch your start-up to raise an investment round?

I also provide consultation services to help start-ups prepare for GTM, applications, pitching, or investment based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

Book a free fundraising consultation session with me here to get feedback on your venture (Slots available for April).

Book a Free Consultation

More opportunities and insights weekly!

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, start-up resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

If you have any suggested topics for future articles or lists, please feel free to comment on them below!

Subscribe now

This week, I spoke to several entrepreneurs with the same question: “What are alternatives to traditional Venture Capital funding?”

Finding funding sources can be challenging for entrepreneurs, with many believing that bootstrapping or VC funding is their only option. That’s where fellowships come in. These programs don’t just offer capital; they provide mentorship, credibility, and access to game-changing networks.

While there are many other funding sources for founders who wish to take a different path, fellowships often come with the same support and guidance that founders can expect from an incubator or accelerator program but are usually focused on individuals instead of organizations. This means that high-potential founders can receive the funding and mentorship they need to pursue ideas without having to focus on raising capital early on in their journey.

Here are six fellowship programs that every ambitious founder should have on their radar.

1. Fellow Fund

Run by Ripple Ventures, the Fellow Fund supports underrepresented student founders transforming legacy industries across the United States and Canada. Focused on tech founders, funding recipients also receive access to Ripple’s founder, investor, and operator network and can connect with other like-minded individuals in their fellowship program through private group chats and events. Ripple also provides hands-on mentorship and access to their network as a talent pipeline for your future hires.

Funding Provided: $50,000 investment in funding rounds of up to $250,000
Important Dates: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Learn More + Apply

2. Z Fellows

Z Fellows is an ultra-fast, high-intensity fellowship designed for those who want to build fast and scale big. They are a one-week startup program that provides $10,000 in funding and a continuous community for high-potential founders and builders. It’s open to solo builders, dropouts, student founders, early-stage startups, and even those working full-time jobs but looking for the right moment to make the leap.

Their program mentors include the founders of Eventbrite, AngelList, Figma, Netflix, Tinder, DoorDash and more. Alums of the program have gone on to raise funds from Sequoia, General Catalyst, a16z, Insight Partners, and more.

Funding Provided: $10,000 investment at a $1 Billion market cap
Important Dates: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Learn More + Apply

3. Thiel Fellowship

One of the more famous fellowships on this list, the legendary Thiel Fellowship, launched by notable entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel, provides young entrepreneurs a $100,000 grant to take a break from or drop out of college and focus entirely on their startups. This highly selective fellowship targets founders under 22 working on ambitious, paradigm-shifting ideas in areas such as biotech, AI, and deep tech. Unlike grants, Thiel Fellows are expected to make real progress toward building the next billion-dollar company and will receive support from the Thiel Foundation’s network of founders, investors, and scientists.

Funding Provided: $100,000 over two years
Important Dates: Applications accepted year-round

Learn More + Apply

4. Echoing Green Fellowship

For founders in the social innovation space who are tackling the world’s most pressing social issues, Echoing Green provides an unparalleled platform. This fellowship funds and supports impact-driven entrepreneurs in climate justice, racial equity, and economic empowerment. Past fellows have launched global nonprofits and social enterprises, reshaping industries and communities worldwide.

The fellowship includes a leadership development program, wellness and well-being support, expert resources, virtual and in-person events, and a stipend of 100,000 USD over 18 months.

Funding Provided: 100,000 USD across 18 months (in the form of recoverable grants for for-profit entities)
Important Dates: Annual application cycle; next cycle opens in fall 2025

Learn More + Apply

5. Activate Fellowship

The Activate Fellowship helps scientists turn research into viable deep-tech startups. Unlike traditional startup fellowships, Activate is designed for PhDs and engineers building commercial applications for cutting-edge science. Fellows receive funding, lab access, and mentorship to transition from academia to entrepreneurship. Desi

Their entrepreneurial curriculum and support are “tailored for scientists and engineers,” and the fellowship also connects founders with a broad network of industry executives, investors, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and other experts from academia, industry, government, and finance. Though they have resources globally and an “Active Anywhere” community, they also have several other location-specific communities in Boston, New York City, Houston and Berkeley.

Funding Provided: A living stipend of $100,000, along with travel allowance and health insurance. Projects also receive an additional $100,000 in R&D funding
Important Dates: Annual application cycle; next cycle opens in late 2025

Learn More + Apply

6. Camelback Fellowship

Camelback Ventures has a 10-year track record of supporting diverse founders tackling social and systemic issues.

Their fellowship focuses on founders innovating in two areas. The first is in education, where they back ventures, schools, programs, and products in early childhood, K-12, higher education, adult learning, and alternative pathways that are improving educational outcomes and access. Their second focus area is on conscious technology focuses on tech ventures in health and wellness, community development, policy and advocacy, and workforce readiness.

Their program is designed around their 5 pillars of coaching, capital, connections, community, and curriculum, providing not just funding but executive coaching and a structured curriculum that is designed to help founders refine their business models and scale impact-driven startups.

The Camelback Ventures team is also hosting an application webinar on March 17th for those looking for best practices.

Funding Provided: $40,000 investment
Important Dates: Applications will open on March 17th and will close on April 7th

Learn More + Apply

If you’re a founder needing capital, mentorship, or a push to leap, these fellowships offer more than just funding - they offer a launchpad. Many of the biggest names in startups today were shaped by programs like these. The question is: which one is right for you?

Do you have more questions about the fundraising process?

Need help getting ready to pitch your start-up or raise an investment round?

I also provide consultation services to help start-ups prepare for GTM, applications, pitching, or investment based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

Book a free fundraising consultation session with me here to get feedback on your venture (I’ve opened up five slots for March).

Book a Free Consultation

More opportunities and insights weekly!

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, start-up resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

If you have any suggested topics for future articles or lists, please feel free to comment on them below!

Subscribe now

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of student-led initiatives. From launching Ascendance back in 2015, which incubates Gen Z social entrepreneurs globally and is still student-run 10 years later, to running NGEN, a 501(3) non-profit based out of New York that harnesses the power of in-person networks and friendships to help student founders across top universities in the United States grow, most things that I do have an element of “student-power” to it.

Over the last few months, I’ve been extremely fortunate to work with many inspiring college students looking beyond their own start-ups and ventures to build robust ecosystems and networks for their peers to access the capital they need to grow their start-ups. These Gen Zs are building venture capital firms or taking the reigns to deploy funds to their fellow student entrepreneurs.

I have seen many of these Gen Z VCs go above and beyond to ensure they create long-term structures and spaces to support founders with the capital and resources they need to thrive. Hence, here’s a list of student-run VCs backing student-founders beyond their respective campuses and across universities.

1. BullMont Capital

Run by a rockstar team I have learned so much from and adored working with, BullMont Capital is a student-led venture firm that partners with student founders nationwide. With an emphasis on early-stage, high-growth start-ups, BullMont goes beyond providing capital and prides itself on being a resource to founders in all ways that matter.

BullMont provides an initial investment of $10,000, with the opportunity for up to $100,000 in follow-on funding in later stages. They also have an in-house development and design team, a student network to support hiring, and an extensive network of investors for further follow-on investments. BullMont takes a hands-on investment approach to ensure that student start-ups have what they need to thrive. Ideal founders show some form of traction or early-stage validation.

They are collaborating with NGEN to host a pitch competition open to all college student founders, with a $10,000 grand prize. Applications will close on March 10th at 11.59 p.m. ET.

2. Rice Student Venture Fund

Rice University is well-known for being an epicenter of entrepreneurial activity and a boon to the student-founder community. Based out of Texas, the university has long had a track record of fostering entrepreneurship nationwide. The Rice Student Venture Fund, run by enterprising Rice students who manage their $1.9 million in capital, takes this further by actively supporting early-stage student entrepreneurs with pre-seed investments.

They focus on early-stage start-ups in the tech, healthcare, consumer products, and energy spaces, investing $25,000 in their first investment round. Students from any college or university in the United States are eligible to apply. I was impressed when I started speaking to some of their student venture team members about how passionate yet focused they were about supporting collegiate entrepreneurship by being among the earliest check-ins for student founders.

3. Dorm Room Fund

Often known as “the original student venture fund,” Dorm Room Fund pioneered the idea of students investing in students on a national scale. Since its inception in 2012, the Dorm Room Fund has invested in more than 300 companies, including notable start-ups such as Snackpass, Strella Biotech, Aavrani, Shield AI, and more. These companies have raised more than $6 billion in follow-on capital.

The Dorm Room Fund invests $40,000 checks into start-ups, promising a robust network of investors, founders, and alums to support ventures through the earliest stages beyond the capital they provide.

4. Genesis Fund

Another student-run fund that I had the honor of meeting personally is Genesis Fund. I was blown away by the strength of their organization, the depth of their network, and their clarity of vision.

The Genesis Fund backs Boston’s most ambitious founders in building “category-defining companies.” They seek founders who are positively obsessed with the problems they are solving and have shown strong technical or domain expertise and a commitment to build long-term.

With an average check size of $50,000, they are a sector-agnostic pre-seed fund with a particular interest in enterprise SaaS, consumer technology, deep tech, digital health, and climate tech. They invest in founders throughout Boston’s collegiate ecosystem, with their portfolio founders hailing from Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Northeastern, Babson, Emerson, Tufts, UMass, and more. They are also deeply entrenched in the Boston venture ecosystem by partnering with investors from across 20+ VCs.

5. Crater Ventures

Switching gears slightly, Crater Ventures is a student-run angel syndicate backing Southern California's “biggest dreamers.” From conversations with some of their student investors, I see their passion for catalyzing growth in the SoCal student entrepreneurship ecosystem is genuine and inspiring.

They foster a vision of equipping the exceptional technical talent produced by SoCal’s universities with the initial funding they need to build, iterate, and launch, ensuring great student founders in the area have the necessary financing and network to succeed. Crater Ventures has invested in founders from UCLA, Caltech, UCI, UC San Diego, and more. They’ve also co-invested with notable venture capitalists, such as General Catalyst, Soma Capital, Pear VC, Lux Capital, Sequoia, and others.

Final Thoughts…

These student-run VCs have shown a willingness to hear from brilliant founders, so if you’re a university student founder raising an investment round or looking for pre-seed capital, make sure to reach out to them. If you think that you’d be a good fit, you can also book a call with me below if you’d like me to introduce you.

Have more questions about the fundraising process?

Need help getting ready to pitch your start-up or raise an investment round?

I also provide consultation services to help start-ups prepare for pitching or investment based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

Book a free fundraising consultation session with me here to get feedback on your venture (I’ve opened up five slots for March).

Book a Free Consultation

More opportunities and insights weekly!

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, start-up resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

If you have any suggested topics for future articles or lists, please feel free to comment on them below!

Subscribe now

Many founders I speak to often believed that a great product idea, proof of early traction and interest, or a brilliant marketing strategy was all they needed to raise VC funding. However, when I first became a VC scout, I was shocked at how differently founders and funders evaluated the same deals and ventures.

After having seen hundreds of start-ups in my various roles across different industries, I’ve noticed a few recurring conversations that VCs have when evaluating a start-up for an investment that leads them to decide against investing, even if they personally like the founder or the problem that they’re solving.

I’ve condensed some of those thoughts below for those looking to start their fundraising journey or who just aren’t getting that second meeting with a VC yet.

1. Their Market Size is Not Big Enough

I remember creating my first pitch deck for an investor without putting too much stock into my market size slide. Like all founders, I researched and listed the ever-important TAM, SAM, and SOM calculations, but I always felt like the real prize of my pitch deck was the slides dedicated to the product itself or our user feedback.

I only realized its importance once I started working with VCs on the other side of the table. I often heard them say they were passing on deals because they had doubts about the size of the market a start-up was expecting to enter.

Many VCs aim to invest in the next billion-dollar business. Hence, the start-up’s market must be big enough to achieve this realistically. One VC I worked with had a fun way of putting it:

“Even if a time traveler traveled back in time from the future and said that a start-up was guaranteed to 4X my returns, I wouldn’t be able to invest in them. We only even consider start-ups that we think can 10x our investment”.

If the math behind your market size doesn’t reflect this potential, it won't be easy to convince VCs.

2. Traction VS Time: Not Enough Traction for the Time They’ve Been Building

Another misconception I had was that the longer a start-up had been around, the better. As a founder, I believed that it exemplified grit, determination, and commitment - all essential for a start-up to succeed.

I began to realize that there was another side to this after speaking to several investors who all expressed a different point of view. Many would often look at the duration of a start-up’s operations and their traction in the same equation. If start-ups showed too little traction in the market, investors often saw it as a red flag. Understandably, they would favor start-ups that were able to show fast growth in a short amount of time and, hence, were believed to be able to produce faster returns after receiving an investment; I was surprised that investors turned away several revenue-generating start-ups that could have increased their scale by receiving an investment.

This was especially interesting to me given that many start-ups I met approached VCs with the mindset that they could not scale quickly due to a lack of funds and, thus, were raising a financing round to have the capital to accelerate their sales.

3. The Market is Too Saturated

Though many founders often feel like they’re on a roll after some early traction, continuous growth beyond the extent of their existing networks is not always guaranteed.

One of the primary considerations I have heard from VCs is how penetrable an existing market is, steering away from markets with too many existing competitors. Some VCs have even raised concerns that the founders in question may not have the skills, technology, or networks to out-compete the competition and, thus, would be unable to grow beyond a certain point.

One VC I spoke to said that a start-up needed “an unfair advantage” of capturing the market compared to competitors. He noted that most start-ups pitch the same customer acquisition strategies and channels that are vague and hypothetical, and thus, they fail to stand out. He said that the founders that caught their attention had to prove that their company had a distinct and specific advantage that others, such as particular contracts, connections, partnerships, etc, couldn’t replicate.

Start-ups must find ways to outperform other players in the market and effectively retain their customer base, which is even more challenging in a crowded sector.

Some Final Thoughts…

These are just some of the many concerns I’ve heard VCs express as reasons why they do not pursue great start-ups. As a founder, it’s easy to think that the sole driver of success is the product or person; however, communicating how to navigate these challenges is key to securing interest from investors.

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more insights into the world of entrepreneurship, VC, and fundraising. I publish regular lists of funding resources, competitions, and investment opportunities, with my next article scheduled to outline VCs that are specifically looking to back student founders.

Subscribe now

Need help getting ready to pitch your start-up or raise an investment round?

I also provide consultancy services to aid start-ups in navigating these considerations and getting pitch/investment ready based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

Book a free fundraising consultancy session with me here to get feedback on your venture (limited to 5 start-ups in March).

Book a Consultation

“Are there any funding sources for early-stage start-ups that aren’t Y-Combinator?”

During a recent conversation with a founder in one of my start-up growth and fundraising consultation sessions, I was asked about resources and funding opportunities for founders who have been working on an idea but are still in the market exploration stage and have yet to nail down all the exact details.

Similarly, I’ve met many founders who shared that they aren’t at the stage where they could best utilize a $500,000 investment but instead wanted to see if there were any opportunities for founders at an earlier stage that still provided some funding and resources. Here’s a list of funding opportunities and resources for all entrepreneurs in the pre-idea or earliest stages of their start-ups:

1. Y Combinator’s Summer Fellows Grant

Since we’ve already mentioned Y-Combinator, it’s only fair to highlight its Summer Fellows Grant program. This program provides aspiring founders with the space to experiment and work on projects over the Summer. The program offers a $20,000 grant and $90,000 in compute credits from Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google GCP.

All programmers working on interesting tech-enabled projects are welcome to apply, however, they are most interested in AI projects. Accepted grantees are also invited to join a slate of in-person programming, including a kick-off dinner on June 15th, Y-Combinator’s inaugural AI Start-Up School on June 16th - 17th, and a final demo day on August 22nd when grantees showcase their projects.

Eligibility: Individual Undergraduate Computer Science or Engineering College Student

Important Dates: Interviews from the applicant pool will be held at the end of March. The grant period runs from June 15th (kick-off dinner) to August 22nd (demo day), with several co-working days in between.

Learn More + Apply

2. Telora Fellowship

With their mission of helping “hackers start start-ups”, Telora seeks technical builders who have actively been exploring interesting problems and/or technologies. Their fellowship provides $40,000 in funding to teams, weekly dinners with like-minded founders and an ongoing speaker series for recipients with established entrepreneurs and VCs.

The fellowship funding is expected to cover six months of living expenses for your team. An initial $10,000 will be disbursed upon acceptance, and the remaining funds will be provided in monthly installments throughout the fellowship. Founders are expected to commit themselves fully during the program's duration.

Eligibility: Upon acceptance, founders must be under 24 and ready to commit full time to pursuing their ideas.

Important Dates: The application deadline for their next cohort is April 18th, with the fellowship expected to begin on June 2nd.

Learn More + Apply

3. Founder University

Founder University is a 12-week pre-accelerator that runs founders through iterating on their idea, developing an MVP, onboarding early users and sharpening their fundraising pitch. Top start-ups in the program receive a $25,000 - $125,000 investment into their start-up. They accept people in the "pre-idea" stage, too. The program requires a $500 deposit that will be returned to founders if you are able to attend all their live sessions.

The program begins with an in-person kick-off event and runs virtually through weekly Zoom sessions. In addition to the required one-hour weekly live session, founders are encouraged to attend Founder University’s weekly check-in session and are complete 5-10 hours of weekly course material.

Eligibility: Individuals without a start-up idea are eligible to apply, but will need to decide on an idea quickly.

Important Dates: The next cohort is set to begin on March 28th

Learn More + Apply

4. SPC Founder Fellowship

Founded by engineers from leading tech companies such as Meta, Dropbox, Stripe, and others, South Park Commons (SPC) exemplifies its ethos of supporting technologists, builders, and domain experts through its Founder Fellowship.

The fellowship provides $400,000 SAFE in initial funding in exchange for 7% equity, with an additional $600,000 committed for future venture investment rounds. SPC’s fellowship also blends structured and flexible learning, with an 8-week curriculum and milestone-based workshops that depend on the student’s growth stage. Additionally, founders can attend sessions featuring founders and chief executives from companies such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Front, and more.

Eligibility: Founders in the pre-idea, pre-product or pre-revenue stage committed to building a venture-scale company.

Important Dates: Applicants for the next cohort will open in the Fall.

Learn More + Apply

5. Founders, Inc. Fellowship

The Founders, Inc. Fellowship is structured with a simple goal: turning builders into entrepreneurs. It is explicitly looking for brilliant engineers who have shown some success and innovative spirit through the pursuit of side projects, demonstrating their ability to build, scale, and iterate quickly. The fellowship is focused on AI/ML, AR/VR, Web3, Robotics, Dev Tools, and more, but it is willing to consider anything in the emerging tech sphere.

The fellowship includes a $100,000 investment, a desk at their San Francisco space, and tailored office hours sessions with experienced entrepreneurs in their network.

Eligibility: They emphasize investing heavily in "builders" and helping them innovate before their ideas are perfected.

Important Dates: Applications are considered on a rolling basis

Learn More + Apply

Bonus! Here are some additional resources that are also open to founders still at the pre-idea phase:

• Company Ventures - They have a Founder Residency program that provides pre-idea founders with one year of access to office space in NYC!

• ODF—This is a one-week intensive program in SF for pre-idea founders. Acceptance includes $800k in perks (AWS, Stripe Atlas, Mercury, etc. credits).

• Beta University - They are a 501(c)3 non-profit that offers a six-week fundraising program for “pre-YC” founders.

Have more questions about the fundraising process?

Need help getting ready to pitch your start-up or raise an investment round?

I also provide consultancy services to help start-ups prepare for pitching or investment, based on my experiences as a founder and VC scout.

This article was actually inspired by one of my consultation calls. If you need tailored support or have specific questions, I’d love to help.

Book a free fundraising consultation session with me here to get feedback on your venture (I’ve opened up five slots for March).

Book a Free Consultation

More opportunities and insights weekly!

Don’t forget to subscribe here for more funding resources, competitions, investment opportunities, and insights for your start-up. I publish weekly articles on funding opportunities, start-up resources, and insights I’ve gained as a founder and VC scout.

If you have any suggested topics for future articles or lists, please feel free to comment on them below!

Subscribe now