Founder Fellowship

VHNYC

A thirteen-week Founder Fellowship for early-stage, underrepresented founders building high-growth, tech and tech-enabled businesses. Through this hybrid program, you can join an exceptional cohort of 15 overlooked founders based in New York City.

Applications FOR NEXT COHORT OPEN OCTOBER 15, 2024!

In partnership with

Receive a $10K Business Grant

Your perspective, time, and business are valuable. You will receive $10,000 in non-dilutive funding upfront as part of the VHNYC Fellowship—with the potential for future investments from Visible Hands.

Join a vibrant and uplifting in-person community

There’s nothing like the diverse New York entrepreneurial community. You will unlock hybrid opportunities to connect digitally and meet IRL across the five boroughs.

Attend hands-on workshops

You will access programming and expert-led workshops designed with the earliest stage in mind, covering topics from “Business Modeling and Financial Projections” to “Raising your Pre-Seed Round.” Each workshop will be led by a guest entrepreneur.

Fellowship Elegibility

Who is VHNYC for?

Teams with at least one
co-founder currently living in one of New York City's
five boroughs

Startups that have a tech or tech-enabled enterprise based in NYC

Teams that can commit 2 hours a week to the Fellowship

Sign up

Applications OPEN 10/15

Application

The application should take you less than an hour to complete. We ask for some basic information about you and your startup, as well as some short answer questions.

Interview

You will hear back by February 2025 if you're invited for a 30 minute interview.

Applications now closed

Frequently asked questions

What you might be asking yourself.

When will the Fellowship take place?

We match founders with dedicated, hands-on support ranging from product and brand design to customer acquisition
and fundraising.

Can I apply to the Fellowship with a co-founder?

Yes! If you would like to go through the program with your co-founder(s), please submit one application and include information about them where prompted. We are currently accepting startups with a maximum of 2 additional co-founders per company.

What do you look for in founders?

Our approach to investing is equitable by design so that founders aren’t overly diluted in future rounds.

Can I participate in multiple accelerator programs at the same time?