Residencies 2026
Compare top VC-backed and community residency programs for founders. Explore locations, funding, and community.
A founder residency — sometimes called a founder-in-residence program — gives you time, funding, and a peer community to find and validate a startup idea, usually before you have a team or a product. This guide compares VC-backed founder residency programs for 2026 side by side: funding and equity terms, duration, focus areas, and which residencies are accepting applications now.
Residency Programs
Focus Areas
In AI
Residency Focus Areas
Click a focus area to filter programs. Bar width shows the proportional consensus among residency programs.
All Residencies
16 residency programs from top organizations
Browse by Category
Programs organized by model — VC-backed residencies, community cohorts, and more.
VC-Backed
(11)Residency programs run or funded by venture capital firms
Community
(5)Community-driven programs with cohort-based models and founder networks
Founder Residencies at a Glance
Every residency program compared side by side — funding, equity terms, duration, location, and application status.
| Program | Funding | Equity | Duration | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afore | $100K+ | Standard pre-seed terms | 10 weeks | San Francisco | Open |
| HF0 | Up to $1M | 5% equity | 12 weeks | San Francisco (live-in) | Open |
| Focal | $25K–$50K + up to $1M | Uncapped SAFE with MFN (optional) | 3–6 months | Miami | Open |
| Antler | Varies by location | Location-specific terms | ~10 weeks | 20+ cities globally | Open |
| Menlo | Negotiated | Standard pre-seed terms | Up to 3 months | San Francisco | Rolling |
| PearX | $250K–$2M | Standard accelerator terms | 12 weeks | San Francisco | Open |
| AI2 | Up to $600K | $10M cap SAFE | 6 months | Seattle | Rolling |
| f.inc | $100K–$200K investment | 4–7% equity | 4–6 weeks (Residency) / 5 weeks (Canopy) | San Francisco (Fort Mason) or online | Open |
| AIR | $50K–$500K | Uncapped, no-discount MFN SAFE, or same price as round within 60 days | Ongoing (rolling) | NYC, SF, LA, London, Paris, and other cities | Open |
| Perplexity | $220K/year (prorated) | Paid residency — no equity taken | 3 months | San Francisco, CA | Open |
| The Bridge | Up to ~$250K + $600K+ credits | EF formation investment terms | 8 weeks (Summer) / 12–14 weeks (Fall) | San Francisco, CA | Open |
| SPC | $400K | 7% equity via SAFE | Bootcamp + open-ended residency | San Francisco & New York City | Open |
| Speedrun | Up to $1M | Standard pre-seed terms | 12 weeks | Los Angeles | Open |
| Arc | Portfolio founders only | Existing Sequoia investment terms | Varies | San Francisco | Rolling |
| Residency | No investment (paid co-living) | No equity taken | 3–6 months | San Francisco, Bangalore, Berlin, Vienna | Open |
| Astera | $125K–$250K salary + up to $1.5M project budget | No equity — nonprofit research institute | 12–18 months | Emeryville, California | Open |
Find problems worth building
Use this guide to pick a residency, then validate your idea against real-world problem demand.