This is the most founder-friendly version of a16z I’ve seen. $1M checks, stacked partner credits, and real hands-on help at the messy idea stage? Feels like the bridge between YC speed and full-stack venture muscle. Also love that you’re betting on underestimated founders with something to prove—not just the shiny decks. Watching this space closely.
Exciting opportunity! I had applied as soon as I seen the Tech Week stream open up, hard to not jump on an accelerated review offer!
I think it’s perfectly aligned with what I’m building and the speed I’m building with Auralith, a new modular AR infrastructure powered by our own proprietary modular design and neural net.
From ideation to training the neural net in 3 weeks, I think Auralith x Speedrun would be the perfect fit! Looking forward to hearing from you guys.
I’ve built and sold two startups in Brazil. Just wrapped up a Master’s at Stanford and moved to LA.
We’ve 41 days until the Speedrun deadline — and I’m using every one of them to go deep on a big, painful problem. Fast cycles, curious people, relentless execution. More than ever, every second counts.
Speaking for myself, it's hard to be scrappy, as a good founder should be, and fundraise all the time. This program seems to address that. And every hour spent on nothing else than product and PMF is worth gold. YC move over! 😂
Love the mindset behind Speedrun, especially the support for first-time and 'chip-on-the-shoulder' founders. Curious how you think about creator-led startups that blend AI and entertainment, especially ones that build original IP instead of toolsets or infra. Where do you see the line between 'media' and 'tech' in that early stage? :)
Hi Andrew! This program is amazing, and thank you for creating it!
For passionate and driven founders with great ideas and execution skills but without a strong background, what key points do you look for or expect in them?
Exciting to see a16z backing Very Serious! The intersection of media, tech, and venture capital is evolving fast—looking forward to seeing where this goes.
This is awesome - I will forward to around to our J&O founder network
Love this program! Big fan of how accessible you (and a16z) are during SF tech week and here. Applied! Sending love from Australia :)
awesome -- hope to see you at the next Tech Week!
Absolutely! Well worth flying over for :)
This is the most founder-friendly version of a16z I’ve seen. $1M checks, stacked partner credits, and real hands-on help at the messy idea stage? Feels like the bridge between YC speed and full-stack venture muscle. Also love that you’re betting on underestimated founders with something to prove—not just the shiny decks. Watching this space closely.
appreciate the kind notes and comments!
Exciting opportunity! I had applied as soon as I seen the Tech Week stream open up, hard to not jump on an accelerated review offer!
I think it’s perfectly aligned with what I’m building and the speed I’m building with Auralith, a new modular AR infrastructure powered by our own proprietary modular design and neural net.
From ideation to training the neural net in 3 weeks, I think Auralith x Speedrun would be the perfect fit! Looking forward to hearing from you guys.
What a great program! Thanks for sharing ❤️
Love what you’re building with Speedrun, Andrew.
I’ve built and sold two startups in Brazil. Just wrapped up a Master’s at Stanford and moved to LA.
We’ve 41 days until the Speedrun deadline — and I’m using every one of them to go deep on a big, painful problem. Fast cycles, curious people, relentless execution. More than ever, every second counts.
Let’s make this happen.
excited to see your application when you have it ready!
Love this initiative!
Speaking for myself, it's hard to be scrappy, as a good founder should be, and fundraise all the time. This program seems to address that. And every hour spent on nothing else than product and PMF is worth gold. YC move over! 😂
What equity does a16z take? I imagine it varies, but can you please share insights into how this is determined?
it varies! So we just want to start a conversation with folks. But we are doing market-rate valuations for preseed/seed startups
Did you get hacked? There was a weird post that now is deleted.
Is there openness to something in the B2C space for health care? Loved The Cold Start Problem, and that has been meaningful inspiration.
Please check out our app and consider us for the next batch! ✌️
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/choosewise/id6667117583
Love the mindset behind Speedrun, especially the support for first-time and 'chip-on-the-shoulder' founders. Curious how you think about creator-led startups that blend AI and entertainment, especially ones that build original IP instead of toolsets or infra. Where do you see the line between 'media' and 'tech' in that early stage? :)
We've applied for our XR company ReactVision - hopefully our application does our vision justice 🤞
Hi Andrew! This program is amazing, and thank you for creating it!
For passionate and driven founders with great ideas and execution skills but without a strong background, what key points do you look for or expect in them?
Exciting to see a16z backing Very Serious! The intersection of media, tech, and venture capital is evolving fast—looking forward to seeing where this goes.
Just applied Andrew!
Speedrun seems to have carved out a rare space for founders: fast capital, deep context, and clear paths to launch. Thanks for sharing.