04Pillar four
Fund without strings
Up to $10,000 in non-dilutive grants, paid in milestones, with no equity taken — ever.
Overview
Most aspiring founders never start because they can't afford to. We close that gap with grants — not loans, not investments — that buy you the time and runway to build something real. We don't take equity. We don't take board seats. The company is yours.
Grants, not equity
Every founder receives up to $10,000 in non-dilutive funding from the foundation. The money is yours to spend on rent, runway, software, materials, childcare — whatever lets you do the work. There is no cap table impact, no liquidation preference, no clawback.
Paid in milestones, not lump sums
Funds are released across four milestones — kickoff, first prototype, first customer, first revenue — so the capital arrives exactly when it's most useful. The structure isn't a hurdle; it's a pacing tool we've refined across hundreds of founders.
Follow-on capital when you're ready
When the time comes to raise institutional money, our investor network — including more than 80 venture and angel partners — moves first and moves fast. Roughly 60% of our founders raise a pre-seed round within twelve months of the program. We help, we don't broker.
Inside the work.
$10K grant
Non-dilutive, paid across four milestones.
Stipend option
A portion can be drawn as a living stipend.
No equity
We never take a cap table position. Ever.
Tooling credits
$50K+ in software credits from partner companies.
Investor intros
Curated, warm, and only when you're ready.
Follow-on fund
An optional pre-seed check from our partner fund.
"The grant didn't make the company. It bought me the six months I needed to find out if I could."
— Sara Lindqvist — Cohort '23