Fellowships
Discover fellowship programs supporting founders and operators.
Llama Beta Fellowship
The Beta Fellowship is an 8-week in-person fellowship from Beta Fund for founders building agent-native AI startups. The program supports founders who are often at the earliest stages—even before there is a company, revenue or finished idea. Fellows receive mentorship from founders, engineers and investors, work alongside a small cohort, and build within the Beta Fund ecosystem. The fellowship also serves as a pathway to Beta Fund investment, with the fund writing US$200K first checks and investing up to US$2M across pre-seed and seed stages
Good fit: Idea-stage founders exploring agent-native AI startup ideas.
Entrepreneurs First
ntrepreneurs First (EF) is a global founder program and talent investor that backs individuals before they have a company, cofounder or idea. Participants join an in-person program to find cofounders, test ideas and build a venture from scratch. EF provides equity-free financial support while founders are ideating, potential investment once a company forms, access to mentors, workspace and a global founder network. Programs run from EF hubs including London, San Francisco and Bangalore. Australian founders can apply but must relocate for relevant programs
Good fit: Idea-stage founders looking for a cofounder and structured path to build a venture-scale startup.
Alpha by a16z speedrun
Alpha by a16z speedrun is a two-month in-person fellowship for highly technical students, recent graduates and early-career builders. The program has two tracks: fellows can either join a fast-growing a16z/partner portfolio company in a full-time engineering role, or start a company through the Founder Track. Founder Track participants receive a US$20,000 equity-free grant, access to up to US$250,000 investment, and a pathway into a16z speedrun. The fellowship is based in San Francisco.
Good fit: Technical students or recent graduates who want to become startup founders.
The EWOR Fellowship
The EWOR Fellowship is a remote-first, global founder program designed to support a small number of “outlier” entrepreneurs with hands-on mentorship, a tight peer community, and meaningful early capital. EWOR’s main funding offer is up to €500,000, and their site describes it as an optional investment structure where a 3% “tuition fee” in equity applies only if EWOR invests (and if they invest, they position themselves as your first investor). The fellowship is built to work from anywhere (no required relocation), while still giving founders access to EWOR’s network and structured support.
Good fit: Founders with big global ambitions (idea to scaling) wanting deep 1:1 support from unicorn builders and investors.
Westpac Social Change Fellowship
The Westpac Social Change Fellowship is a prestigious fellowship program in Australia that supports leaders driving positive social impact through long-term solutions that benefit communities and advance inclusive prosperity. Administered by the Westpac Scholars Trust, the fellowship provides funding of up to $50,000 to each Fellow, alongside tailored development opportunities, connections with a network of past and present social change leaders, and leadership growth activities. Participants are typically mid-career or experienced founders, changemakers, and practitioners working on projects that address complex social challenges — from economic inclusion and mental health to education, sustainability, and community development. The fellowship is designed to strengthen fellows’ capacity to scale their impact, influence policy or practice, and create measurable outcomes in their fields.
Good fit: Experienced social entrepreneurs leading validated community impact initiatives in Australia.,
Breakthrough Victoria Fellowship
The Breakthrough Victoria Fellowship is a funding program designed to help researchers and recent graduates from Victorian universities or research institutes turn their research into startup companies. Selected fellows receive up to AUD $150,000 in funding to support research commercialisation, including salary and startup development costs. The program also provides mentoring, entrepreneurial training and connections to the Victorian innovation ecosystem. It is part of a multi-year initiative aimed at creating new startups based on university research in Victoria.
Good fit: PhD candidates, researchers or recent graduates turning academic research into a startup.