Z-Fellows

What is Z-Fellows?

Z-Fellows is an investor and accelerator program designed to rapidly insert technical founders into the Silicon Valley ecosystem.

With a community-centric approach, Z-Fellows targets determined technical founders working on side projects or startups, irrespective of their educational background or current employment status. They welcome individuals working in diverse fields, such as consumer, social, enterprise, healthcare, edtech, fintech, gaming, and more. Z-Fellows is not just a one-week startup program; it pledges to support founders for the lifetime of their company and beyond, forging a thriving alumni network for continuous growth and support.

The driving force behind Z-Fellows is the belief that they are the first believer in these founders, providing both a vote of confidence and practical support in the form of networks, mentorship, and funding. They are ready to invest in companies with amounts ranging from $100,000 to $5,000,000, with a sweet spot of $1,500,000 for investments. Specializing in Seed stage investments, Z-Fellows aims to kickstart founders' journeys with high-value connections, mentorship from industry stalwarts, and a seeding ground for future financiers to back these ambitious projects.

Their program enables founders to meet and engage with successful entrepreneurs and investors, such as Marc Randolph (Netflix), Kevin Hartz (Eventbrite), and Naval Ravikant (AngelList), among others. Recognizing the unique paths and timelines of technical founders, Z-Fellows has structured their application process to be open ended without deadlines, and they invite rejected applicants to reapply.

Investment from Z-Fellows can take the form of a $10,000 contribution at a $1B valuation cap, allowing founders to claim their company is valued at $1B early on. This investment converts to stock during the next priced round.

The program is globally inclusive and mostly virtual, culminating in an in-person gathering either in San Francisco or New York City.