Accelerator · San Francisco, California, United States
a16z speedrun
Andreessen Horowitz's 12-week in-person residency in San Francisco for very early teams. It invests US$500k for 10% on a SAFE upfront, with up to US$500k more in the next qualifying round.
Open · closes 1 Nov 2026 Run by Andreessen Horowitz
Verified 18 October 2026 · From the programme's own pages
Terms
- Funding
- US$500,000 US$500k for 10% upfront on a SAFE, plus up to US$500k more in the next qualifying round (US$2M or more) within 18 months
- Instrument
- SAFE
- Equity taken
- 10%
- Programme fee
- not published
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Cohort size
- not published
- Cohorts
- 2 a year
- Delivery
- In person
- Stages
- Idea, pre-seed
- Sectors
- Sector-agnostic
- Open to founders from
- not published
- Perks
-
- More than US$10M in partner credits from 200+ partners
- Introductions through the a16z talent network
Recent residencies had 70 to 80 companies. a16z asks for pro rata rights; the standard deal has no board seat. Applying is free.
Application dates
SR008: applications opened 12 October 2026 and close 1 November 2026; the programme starts 1 February 2027 and demo day is 13 April 2027.
Usual timing: Applications received after 1 November 2026 roll into SR009, which starts in late July 2027 with demo day on 5 October 2027.
Who can apply
- Solo founders can apply, though multi-founder teams are generally preferred
- A technical cofounder or equivalent expertise is usually expected
- Incorporation is not required to apply
- Stage: idea, pre-seed
What founders should check
- It takes 10% equity, and its standard offer is US$500,000. Work out what that stake costs you at your next round before you sign.
- It does not publish a fee. Ask whether you pay for desks, services or the programme itself.
- It runs in person in San Francisco. Plan to be there for the length of the programme.
- Applications are open until 1 November 2026. That is less than a month away, so start the form now.
Similar accelerators
Other accelerators that share a sector with a16z speedrun or run in the United States.
Compare side by side
500 Global Flagship Accelerator
500 Global's four-month flagship accelerator in San Francisco for early-stage founders building for the US and global markets. Startups can receive up to US$50k at entry, with potential for up to US$1M more.
Funding not published · equity not published
Anderson Venture Accelerator
UCLA Anderson's incubator and co-working space for student, alumni and Los Angeles startups. Its Accelerate cohort runs February to May for teams with a working prototype; the summer Activate programme helps founders build an MVP.
Funding not published · equity-free
Berkeley SkyDeck
UC Berkeley's six-month accelerator in Berkeley, California. About 20 Cohort teams are picked every six months and receive US$210k from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund; startups from any country and industry can apply.
US$210k invested · equity not published
Founder Institute
A part-time pre-seed programme run through local chapters in 200+ cities, mostly online. Founders pay an entrance fee that varies by city and pledge 2.5% of future equity through a warrant.
Funding not published · 2.5% equity
Grid110
A Los Angeles nonprofit running free, equity-free programmes for early founders, from six-week virtual idea courses to the in-person Clicks & Mortar retail-readiness accelerator for product brands.
Funding not published · equity-free
Neo Residency
Neo's three-month residency in San Francisco for startups and student teams, with a two-week bootcamp. Startups get US$750k uncapped; Neo takes participation rights in the next equity round up to 5% ownership.
US$750k invested · equity not published
Run this programme?
Send us your next dates and terms and we will update the listing from your own pages, free.