Founder in Residence (FIR)

16VC is building a global founder-first venture platform backing early-stage operators across AI, SaaS, fintech, and frontier technologies.

The Founder in Residence (FIR) program is a 6-week structured fellowship designed for ambitious builders ready to validate, prototype, and launch high-potential startups.

Selected FIRs join 16VC to build alongside our studio team. Top-performing founders may receive accelerator investment.

The Role

As a Founder in Residence, you will:

• Develop and refine a venture thesis

• Validate problem–solution fit

• Build MVP (with studio engineering support if required)

• Conduct customer discovery & early traction experiments

• Present at internal Demo Review (Week 6)

This is not employment.
This is a structured venture-building fellowship.

Program Structure (6 Weeks)

Week 1–2:
Problem validation & market research

Week 3–4:
Prototype / MVP development

Week 5:
Go-to-market testing

Week 6:
Demo Day + Investment Review

Top startups may be invited into the 16VC Accelerator for capital investment.

What You Get

• Direct access to 16VC investment team

• Structured venture-building framework

• Weekly strategic reviews

• Studio engineering guidance (if applicable)

• Global founder network

Potential accelerator investment upon successful completion.

Who Should Apply

We are looking for:

• First-time or repeat founders

• Strong operators from Tier-1 ecosystems

• Technical or domain expertise in AI / SaaS / Fintech / DeepTech

• High agency, high velocity builders

You do not need a co-founder to apply.

Investment Path

High-performing fellows may receive:

• Entry into 16VC Accelerator

• Pre-seed investment (terms discussed post-selection)

• Ongoing venture studio support

Investment is not guaranteed. Selection is merit-based.

Commitment

• 6 weeks

• 10–15 hours per week (minimum)

• Hybrid sessions + remote flexibility