Neo Unveils Founder-Friendly Accelerator Program

Ali Partovi's venture firm offers startups $750,000 in uncapped SAFE funding and $40,000 grants for college students.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Neo, the venture firm led by investor Ali Partovi, has introduced a new accelerator program called Neo Residency that offers startups extremely founder-friendly terms. The program will invest $750,000 in each startup via an uncapped SAFE agreement, allowing for minimal dilution compared to traditional accelerator deals. Neo will also provide $40,000 grants to 5-8 college students to work on projects, with the hope they will later launch startups that turn to Neo for funding.

Why it matters

The Neo Residency program represents a significant departure from the standard accelerator model, which often requires startups to give up a significant equity stake in exchange for funding and mentorship. By offering such generous, low-dilution terms, Neo aims to attract the most promising founders who may have previously been wary of joining traditional accelerators.

The details

The Neo Residency program will select 12-15 startups per cohort to receive the $750,000 uncapped SAFE investment. Unlike typical accelerator deals that take a fixed percentage of equity, Neo's stake will be tied to the startup's valuation in its next funding round - as low as 0.75% if the valuation hits $100 million. The program also includes a 3-month residency in San Francisco, a 2-week bootcamp, and mentorship from experienced operators. Additionally, Neo will provide $40,000 grants to 5-8 college students to work on entrepreneurial projects, with the hope they will later launch startups that partner with Neo.

  • The Neo Residency program will select its first cohort of startups this summer.
  • The college student grant recipients will take a semester off to work on their projects.

The players

Ali Partovi

The CEO of venture firm Neo, known for early investments in companies like Facebook, Cursor, and Kalshi.

Neo

A venture capital firm that has introduced the new Neo Residency accelerator program offering founder-friendly terms.

Moment

A fintech company that has raised $56 million from investors like Andreessen Horowitz after going through the Neo accelerator program.

Anterior

A healthcare AI startup backed by NEA and Sequoia that has also participated in the Neo accelerator.

Wesley Chan

The co-founder and managing partner of FPV Ventures, who praised Neo as having "very high signal" and attracting "wicked smart" founders.

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What they’re saying

“We're offering a deal so great that it's appropriate even for founders who are not even considering any other accelerator.”

— Ali Partovi, CEO, Neo (TechCrunch)

“The one [accelerator] I like right now that has very high signal, and every founder I met there is just wicked smart, is Neo.”

— Wesley Chan, Co-founder and Managing Partner, FPV Ventures (TechCrunch)

What’s next

Neo plans to cap each of its two annual cohorts at 20 teams, consisting of a mix of active startups and student projects.

The takeaway

By offering such founder-friendly terms, including minimal equity dilution and no-strings-attached grants for students, Neo is positioning itself as an attractive alternative to traditional accelerator programs. This approach aims to attract the most promising founders who may have previously been deterred by the high cost of joining elite accelerators.