AI

AI Grant

Rolling

by NFDG (Nat Friedman & Daniel Gross)

Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross' seed program offering $250K on an uncapped SAFE plus $600K+ in compute credits for AI-native startups.

Visit Program
Funding Model

AI-native seed accelerator with uncapped SAFE

Typical Check

$250K

Equity Terms

Uncapped SAFE

Duration

Cohort-based

Cohort Cadence

Multiple cohorts/year

Application Cycle

Rolling

HQ Region

United States

Geographic Scope

Global

Last Verified

2/14/2026

Summary

AI Grant is a seed-stage accelerator for AI-native startups, founded by Nat Friedman (ex-GitHub CEO) and Daniel Gross (ex-Apple AI lead). Each company receives $250K on an uncapped SAFE, plus $350K in Azure credits and $250K+ in additional credits from OpenAI, Anthropic, and others.

The program has evolved from its origins as open-source AI project grants (2017) into a full seed-stage accelerator focused exclusively on AI-first companies. NFDG also operates the Andromeda Cluster supercomputer for portfolio AI startups.

Program Edge

Direct access to Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross' AI industry network. Massive compute credit package.

  • $250K on uncapped SAFE
  • $600K+ in compute credits (Azure, OpenAI, Anthropic)
  • Andromeda Cluster supercomputer access
  • Deep AI industry network

Best Fit

AI-native startups that need significant compute resources and connections to the AI research and infrastructure community.

Western Top 1% Rationale

Elite founder operators (GitHub, Apple AI), massive compute infrastructure, and AI-only focus with strong portfolio.

Official Sources

Source: NFDG (Nat Friedman & Daniel Gross)

Last verified: February 14, 2026

Explore Accelerators

Discover other top-tier accelerator programs and find the right fit for your startup.