Neo Residency

The 2026 Neo Residency application deadline has passed.
For year-round pre-seed or seed funding, contact our team. We prefer warm intros.

Join a curated cohort of up to 20 startups and student teams and build something epic.

Funding on Exceptional Terms

  • Startups get $750K uncapped. We get participation rights in your next equity round up to 5% ownership.
  • Students get $40K each. If your project becomes a company, we'd want to invest on the terms here.

We also give each founder/student a profit share in our fund.

SF Work Space & All-Expenses-Paid Bootcamp

Work side-by-side for 3 months at our beautiful SF space. Maximize your productivity and build lasting relationships with founders and mentors at our intensive 2-week Oregon bootcamp.

Access to World-Class Mentors, Tech Leaders & VCs

Learn from fabled founders and seasoned operators. Meet industry leaders at intimate events and 1:1 sessions. End the program with a Demo Day and bespoke VC intros.

OpenAI & Microsoft Perks, Community, & More

Join a supportive community of tech veterans and founders. Redeem curated deals & discounts and save on essential tools. Access our recruiting platform, of vetted candidates.

  • Startups get $450K+ of Azure, AWS, OpenAI, & more.
  • Students get $100K+ of Azure, AWS, OpenAI, & more.

Follow in the footsteps of great Neo-backed startups, such as:

Kalshi

Cursor

Cognition

Chai Discovery

Applied Compute

Wispr Flow

Sapien

Flint

… and more.

Join a Cohort of Awesome Tech Startups

Join a tight-knit group of today's most promising technical talent and build lasting connections. We'll accept startup teams and students based in North America. Students: feel no pressure to drop out or incorporate.

Diversity is a core pillar of Neo, from our team to the startups we support. Since inception, 45% of our capital has backed female or underrepresented minority CEOs.

Important Dates:

  • Before June: Rolling applications. We'll start funding and supporting you when we accept you.
  • June 2: Program kick-off, start working out of Neo SF.
  • Jul 12-26: Oregon bootcamp
  • Sep 30-Oct 4: Demo Day and Reunion

Spend two intensive weeks in Oregon (Jul 12-26) living, building, and bonding in a private co-working space stocked with monitors, snacks, caffeine, and meeting booths. We cover your travel, housing, and meals.

Finish the program with an all-inclusive trip to Arizona (Sept 30–Oct 4), ending in Demo Day, where you'll pitch world-class investors, operators, engineers, and the extended Neo community.

Work with World-Class Mentors

Meet weekly with your primary mentor – an experienced founder and/or lifelong operator. Attend workshops and 1:1 office hours with diverse domain experts for deep dives into your industry or to hone in on a specific skill.

Ali Partovi – Neo CEO

Anand Subramani – Rula SVP

Anna Marie Wagner – Transfyr CEO, Ginkgo Bioworks Head of AI

Hiring Star Engineers from a Talent Pool

Hiring engineers is the challenge that makes or breaks startups, and we have a track record of crushing it.

Get support from Microsoft & OpenAI plus curated deals.

Redeem credits and discounts on our curated deals page and save on essential tools such as Dropbox, Hubspot, Stripe, and more. Get exclusive support and access to build with the best of generative AI.

Access to Leading AI Researchers

OpenAI & Azure Credits to cover computing costs and use the latest GPT & Dall-E models.

Additional Benefits

Additional benefits included with the highest tier of Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, such as GitHub Enterprise, Microsoft 365, LinkedIn Premium, and more.

Potential Upfront Investment by Industry Leaders

Opt-in to share your pitch with a select group of investors. Add world-class names to your cap table before our program even starts.

Akshay Kothari – Notion Co-founder

Amjad Masad – Replit CEO

Anu Bharadwaj – Atlassian President

Join a community of 300+ tech leaders.
Join a network spanning Neo Scholars, operators, and industry leaders. Tap into the Neo Community Slack for fast feedback and real-time support, and connect in person at Neo events and meetups.

FAQ

  • How do I know if my application is complete?
  • Can I make changes to my application after it’s submitted?
  • What does the application process look like and when can I expect to hear back?
  • What criteria do you use to choose participants?
  • Do you accept solo or non-technical founders?
  • Will this program help me find a co-founder?
  • Do I have to be a student to apply? Do I have to be incorporated?
  • Do you invest in international teams?
  • Are there any restrictions regarding the stage, industry, founder age, etc.?
  • Is there a way to expedite the review process if I’m fundraising, applying to other programs, or receive a term sheet after applying?
  • What type of mentorship will teams receive?