SPC Founder Fellowship Spring 2026

The Founder Fellowship is not an accelerator. We’re not here to rush you toward a deadline on your first idea with a bit of traction. You don’t even need traction to apply. Or an idea.

We’re here to help you find what matters. You just need the ability and ambition to build at the frontier. Software, hardware, consumer, enterprise, security, biotech, energy, space—we’re endlessly curious to meet anyone asking big, unanswered questions.

Everything is accelerating. The cost of getting stuck at local maxima is going up. These next few years are an unprecedented window of opportunity. Don’t waste them on something small.

SPC is the best place to see the future—so you can build it.

Apply by February 1st.

FAQ

What is the SPC Founder Fellowship?

The Founder Fellowship is the best way for ambitious technologists to become founders and build at the frontier. Fellows get: 

• $1M in funding. We offer $400K for 7% up front and $600K in your next outside-led round so you can pitch investors from a position of strength.
• Direct partner mentorship. Each company works directly with SPC partners several times per week. You will have access to the entire partner team.
• Open timelines. Work on validating ideas and fundraising on a timeline that makes the most sense for your company. When you’re ready, you’ll have access to Demo Faire events and bespoke fundraising support from the SPC team.
• Unmatched talent density. The SPC community is the most talent dense network of technologists in -1 to 0. This is, by far, the most valuable part of the fellowship.

How is the Founder Fellowship different from SPC Member Residency?

The Founder Fellowship is our funded program for people who know they want to start a company and are ready for capital. It includes a more concentrated curriculum and partnership with the SPC team.

The Member Residency is for people even earlier in their -1 to 0 journey, either before they are ready for funding or before they have decided that a company is the best way for them to build the future. Many residents go on to join the Founder Fellowship. Both are members of the larger SPC community. You are welcome to apply to either.

How long does the Fellowship last?

Upon acceptance, Fellows immediately become SPC members and get full access to our community, partners, offices, and programming. 

The Fellowship has no fixed end date, but does have two distinct phases: 1) bootcamp and 2) residency. During bootcamp, teams work in-person to build, demo, and share feedback in San Francisco or New York City. Afterward, fellows become residents of SPC, a flexible phase with full access to our offices and partners that lasts as long as you need to reach conviction and prepare for a fundraise.

• Immediate Funding & Membership. You become Fellows and members of SPC as soon as you are accepted and sign investment terms. We fund teams immediately—you don’t have to wait for the bootcamp. You gain immediate access to all SPC offices, events & programming, and our online community.
• Bootcamp. Small cohorts with direct partner mentorship. Each company works directly with SPC partners several times per week on everything from customer discovery and product development to branding, storytelling, and pitching. Fellows also join weekly demos, pitch practice, skill workshops, and exclusive events.
• Residency. We want you to work on the right idea, not necessarily the first idea. This can take time, so the residency period lasts as long as you need. Fellows remain full SPC members with access to offices, programming, and partner support. Once you’re ready to raise your seed round, SPC partners will help you prepare your pitch and make white-glove introductions to the right investors.

Do I need an idea to apply?

You do not need an idea to apply, but you do need to show us how you will generate ideas. Be prepared to discuss technical approaches, relevant research, markets you find interesting, previous ideas you considered and discarded, and any insights you find compelling.

We also welcome applicants who know what they want to build—we’ll help make sure you’re prepared to spend the next decade building it.

Is the Fellowship limited to specific industries, domains, or founder profiles?

No, our only strict requirement is ambition to build at the frontier. We actively encourage non-traditional founders to apply, including researchers still a long way from turning their research into product. We have backed space tech, robotics, consumer hardware, biotech, AI research labs, enterprise security, fintech, and a variety of agent and software companies. 

Can I apply as a solo founder?

Yes. If you apply as a solo founder, we have a strong bias for applicants who have the skills to build and prototype. If you are accepted as a solo founder, you may benefit from a co-founder, and we can help in the search process. Previous fellows have found co-founders in the SPC community.

What are the Fellowship funding terms?

• Terms: $400k upfront for 7% on a standard SAFE, plus an additional $600k guaranteed in your next external funding round. 
• Credits: We offer over $900k in credits and perks from companies including Baseten, OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure, GCP, AWS, Render, RunwayML, Figma, and many more.

What are the upcoming cohort application deadlines, program dates, & location logistics?

• Application Deadline: 11:59pm PT on Sunday, February 1st.
• Interviews: All applicants will hear back about whether they have received an interview invitation by February 28th. 
• Program Dates: The Spring 2026 Fellowship Bootcamp runs from late March to late May.
• Kickoff: We host a kickoff week starting with a private retreat in Northern California and in our San Francisco office.
• Location: All fellows are required to work for the duration of the bootcamp from one of our offices in San Francisco, New York City, or Bangalore. After the bootcamp, teams can relocate to where they plan to build their company, though we encourage teams to remain in a city with an SPC location.

Who is behind the Founder Fellowship?

The Founder Fellowship is organized by South Park Commons and run by SPC investors Ruchi Sanghvi, Aditya Agarwal, Finn Meeks, Evan Tana, Jonathan Brebner, Arian Agrawal, Prateek Mehta, Mark Jacobstein, Marco Sanvido, Danh Trang, Dylan Itzikowitz, Gopal Raman, and Ankit Chowdhary. We are builders, entrepreneurs, technologists, and investors who love helping founders pull the future forward.

South Park Commons Companies

We have partnered with a number of breakout companies at the earliest stages of their journeys. We are sector-agnostic and focus on exceptional people. SPC companies include Baseten, Goodfire, Profound, Doppel, Luma AI, Deep Cogito, Orb, Simular, Comun, Pulley, Under Control Robotics, Bevel, and many more.