HF0 Residency accelerator is one of the most exclusive accelerators in the startup world, offering $1 million in uncapped SAFE funding to elite technical founders. Based in San Francisco, the 12-week program brings together a handpicked group of repeat founders to live and build in a distraction-free, high-intensity environment often referred to as…

What does it take to get accepted into one of the most selective, high-touch accelerators in the U.S.? In this episode of Founders’ Backpack, we unpack the gener8tor Accelerator — a 12-week program that invests $100K in early-stage startups and delivers deep mentorship, investor intros, and tailored growth support. With only 5–6 startups per cohort…

What if your accelerator didn’t rush you through a 12-week sprint and a high-pressure demo day? That’s the MuckerLab accelerator difference. In this episode, Sophia and Daniel break down how MuckerLab’s long-term, hands-on approach gives early-stage startups the time and support they actually need to reach product-market fit and raise serious fundi…

Thinking about joining an accelerator that actually helps you grow? In this episode of Founders' Backpack, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about the Pegasus Angel Accelerator — a 12-week, in-person program based in Santa Monica that offers $100K in funding, access to over 500 mentors and investors, and a $1M perks package. Whether y…

In this episode of Founders’ Backpack, we dive into the Fusion VC Accelerator — one of Israel’s most ambitious pre-seed programs designed to launch startups straight into the global market. With $150K in funding, access to 300+ mentors, and a U.S. expansion playbook, Fusion is more than just an accelerator — it’s a launchpad for Israeli founders re…

In this episode of Founders’ Backpack, we dive into the Cleantech Open Accelerator — the world’s largest program for cleantech startups. With over 2,100 alumni and $3B raised, Cleantech Open offers early-stage founders hands-on training, expert mentorship, and access to top investors. Whether you're building in energy, transportation, water, or sus…

In this episode of Founders' Backpack, we dive into the Dreamit Accelerator — a top-tier program designed for early-stage startups in cybersecurity, anti-fraud, and risk compliance. With investments ranging from $500K to $1.5M and a focus on enterprise traction, Dreamit stands out for its unique Customer and Investor Sprints. If you're a founder re…

Thinking of starting a company but don’t have a team or even an idea yet? Antler Accelerator might be exactly what you need. In this episode of Founders’ Backpack, we dive into how Antler backs founders from day zero—offering co-founder matching, mentorship, and up to $500K in funding, all within a global network of 30+ cities. We’ll walk you throu…

In this episode of Founders’ Backpack, we dive into the LAUNCH Accelerator — a high-impact, 14-week program led by Jason Calacanis that helps early-stage startups raise funding fast and scale with precision. Sophia and Daniel break down everything you need to know: from the $125K investment terms to how the hybrid structure works, who should apply,…

In this episode of Founders’ Backpack, we dive into the Alchemist Accelerator — one of the top programs in the world for enterprise-focused startups. Sophia and Daniel break down what makes Alchemist unique, from its $25K investment and $400K+ in perks to its unmatched network of mentors and enterprise customers. Whether you're building in industri…

Thinking about applying to Y Combinator accelerator? In this episode of Founders’ Backpack, Sophia and Daniel break down exactly what it takes to get into the world’s most prestigious startup accelerator. From the application process to the interview tips YC partners are really looking for, we cover it all — with plenty of real talk along the way. …

Looking to fund and scale your early-stage B2B SaaS startup? In this episode of Founders' Backpack, Sophia and Daniel dive into Forum Ventures Accelerator — a remote-first program offering $100K in funding, hands-on mentorship, and real customer introductions to Fortune 500 companies. We break down what founders get, who should apply, how the appli…

Thinking about applying to Betaworks Accelerator (aka Camp)? This episode breaks it all down. We’re diving into one of the most unique startup accelerators in the game — Betaworks Camp. Unlike traditional programs, Betaworks takes a thematic, in-residence approach focused on frontier tech like AI and computer vision. Startups get up to $500K in fou…

In this episode of Founders’ Backpack, Sophia and Daniel dive deep into the Neo Accelerator — a game-changing program for technical founders building bold, venture-scale startups. From an all-expenses-paid bootcamp in Oregon to $600K in funding on founder-friendly terms, Neo stands out as one of the most elite and supportive environments for early-…

In this episode of Founders' Backpack, we dive into The Mint Accelerator by BTV — a pre-seed program offering fintech founders a whopping $500K investment and a 10-week in-person experience in New York or San Francisco. Hosts Sophia and Daniel unpack what makes The Mint stand out: from its deep fintech operator DNA to its selective, hands-on approa…

Thinking of applying to Techstars? In this episode of Founders’ Backpack, we dive into what it’s really like to join one of the world’s most well-known accelerator programs. From the moment you hit “submit” on your application to the pressure and prep leading up to Demo Day, we’re breaking it all down—naturally, with a little storytelling and first…

Thinking about launching your startup in New York City? In this episode, we dive into Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) — NYC’s most established accelerator for early-stage tech founders. Sophia chats with Alex, a founder and ERA alum, about what it’s really like inside the four-month program, from weekly mentor meetings and pitch practice…

What does it take to get into one of the most globally recognized startup accelerators? In this episode of Founders' Backpack, Sophia sits down with Luis, a founder who went through the 500 Global Flagship Accelerator in Palo Alto. They dive into what makes a strong application, what the program actually feels like on the inside, and how internatio…

What does it really take to get into IndieBio, one of the world’s top biotech accelerators? In this episode of Founders' Backpack, Sophia sits down with Mateo, a founder who’s been through the IndieBio experience. They chat about what makes a strong application, how the program works, and why IndieBio accelerator is a game-changer for deep tech and…

Thinking of applying to PearX Accelerator? In this episode, Sophia sits down with Daniel, a founder who's navigated early-stage fundraising and knows the ins and outs of startup accelerators. Together, they unpack what makes PearX one of the most selective and founder-focused pre-seed programs in the game. They talk about: What PearX really looks f…

Thinking about applying to Berkeley SkyDeck? With its world-class mentors, $200K funding offer, and Demo Day packed with top-tier investors, SkyDeck is one of the most competitive accelerators out there—and one of the most rewarding. In this episode, Sophia sits down with Jason, a startup founder who’s been through the process, to break down: What …

Getting into HAX Accelerator isn’t easy—it’s one of the most competitive hard tech accelerators out there. But what exactly does it take to get in? 🤔 In this episode of Founders' Backpack, Sophia sits down with Jimmy, a startup founder who’s been through the process firsthand. They break down: ✅ What makes HAX different from other accelerators ✅ Th…

Uncover the power of TLDraw's make-real feature, transforming sketches into functional prototypes using AI. Explore the cutting-edge browser-based technologies and the future of visual communication with founder and CEO, Steve Ruiz. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj –…

In this episode of Emergent Behavior, @8teapi talks with Hedra co-founder Michael Lingelbach. Listen as he shares his vision for a future of AI-powered storytelling, where creators can seamlessly blend real and generated content to bring their unique visions to life. Hedra believes that AI can empower storytellers of all levels, enabling them to cr…

In this episode of Emergent Behavior, @8teapi talks with Justin Junyang Lin, Chief Evangelist Officer of Alibaba Qwen Project. Joined by guest host Eugene Cheah, CEO of Recursal.AI, they talk about how Alibaba's Qwen 2 tackles multilingual challenges, including code-switching and the unique complexities of Chinese data. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 fou…

Jim Yu, a leading voice in SEO, spearheads BrightEdge's mission to equip marketers with the tools and strategies needed to thrive in the AI-driven search landscape. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj Explore how AI-powered search engines are threatening Google's domina…

For the first episode of Hallucinations, I spoke to my best friend and long-time collaborator Dave Fontenot. Dave and I co-founded HF0—a 3 month startup accelerator and residency program for hackers. Dave shared his perspective on the true nature of hackers. He believes software engineers are actually unshackled artists who have become overly attac…

Cecilia Ziniti, Founder of GC AI, shares her vision for AI in legal practice, emphasizing its impact on in-house counsel and the future of the legal profession. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj Discover the latest developments in AI for legal practice and explore the…

Romain Torres is the co-founder of Arcads.ai, a platform that helps marketers create effective ads using AI actors. Discover how Arcads navigates the ethical complexities of deepfake technology while empowering marketers, and explore their dedication to creator safety, their growth trajectory, and their plans for the future of AI-powered advertisin…

Pratik Desai is the founder of Kissan, an AI startup that provides a multilingual voice-based co-pilot app for farmers in India, primarily used for market access queries, crop health issues, and exploring new farming techniques. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj — REC…

Kwebbelkop, whose real name is Jordi van den Bussche, is a Dutch YouTuber and gaming content creator from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Kwebbelkop has amassed over 15 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. In 2023, he transitioned his content strategy towards AI and created an AI version of himself to help generate more video content without his phy…

Evan Stites-Clayton is the General Partner of HF0, a monastery for hackers that provides an environment for extreme focus and creativity and one of the most competitive founder programs in SV. — RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in…

Today @Ate-A-Pi is joined by Hrishi Olickel, co-founder of Greywing, a copilot to master maritime data. The conversation explores the importance of latency and accuracy in AI systems, the connection between user experience and perceived intelligence, and the challenges of testing and iterating AI models and the value of human evaluation. — Recommen…

Blake Anderson is the founder of Umax, a popular iPhone app with over 3.5 million downloads that allows a user to "glow up" or looksmaxx. — Recommended Podcast: Company Breakdowns Each episode of Company Breakdowns dives into S-1s and series B-and-beyond companies, interviewing founders and investors to break down the companies. First episode is on…

Alan Cowen, founder of Hume AI, an empathic AI research lab, joins @Ate-A-Pi to chat about the AI models developed by Hume that understand more than just language. These models can detect emotions in voices and faces and generate responses based on the detected emotions. — Recommended Podcast: Company Breakdowns Each episode of Company Breakdowns d…

Yacine Brahimi, founder of the AI-powered meme and image generator Dingboard, joins @Ate-A-Pi to chat about making meme creation quick and efficient. — Recommended Podcast: Company Breakdowns Each episode of Company Breakdowns dives into S-1s and series B-and-beyond companies, interviewing founders and investors to break down the companies. First e…

Ego co-founders Vishnu H. and Peggy Wang join @Ate-A-Pi to dive into the world of 3D avatars and worlds. — Recommended Podcast: Company Breakdowns Each episode of Company Breakdowns dives into S-1s and series B-and-beyond companies, interviewing founders and investors to break down the companies. First episode is on Rubrik - which just IPO'd. Comin…

Prophetic AI co-founders Eric Wollberg and Wesley Berry join @Ate-A-Pi to dive into how they're using AI to facilitate lucid dreaming. RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical…

Dylan Patel and @Ate-A-Pi discuss the semiconductor industry, AI, and the future of the internet. RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, …