by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
a16z Speedrun Alpha places top early-career engineers and pre-idea founders into the a16z ecosystem with a $20K equity-free grant, up to $250K in investment, or full-time roles at breakout portfolio companies — all through a 2-month in-person fellowship in San Francisco.
Apply Now$20,000 grant (equity-free) + up to $250K investment eligibility
2 months (in-person in San Francisco)
United States
Open to students and recent graduates (up to approximately 3 years out of school). Must be a highly technical engineer or aspiring founder with a demonstrated track record of shipping work. Must be willing to work full-time and relocate to San Francisco for the 2-month program.
Periodic (Summer 2026 cohort)
2/21/2026
March 6, 2026
The a16z Speedrun Alpha Fellowship is a two-month, in-person program in San Francisco designed for students and recent graduates who are highly technical and ready to build. The program offers two distinct tracks: a founder track with a $20,000 equity-free grant and eligibility for up to $250K in follow-on investment, and an engineering placement track that matches fellows with full-time roles at fast-growing a16z portfolio companies like Substack, Decagon, Sesame AI, Nexxa, and Hedra.
What makes Alpha unique is its combination of real-world work and community immersion. Fellows don't just attend workshops — they ship code at portfolio companies or build their own startups while participating in curated dinners with engineering leaders, portfolio founders, and investors from the a16z network. The fellowship culminates in a capstone event where fellows present their work to the a16z Speedrun team and the broader community.
For pre-idea, pre-team founders and ambitious engineers alike, Alpha is designed to be the fastest on-ramp into Silicon Valley's most active venture ecosystem. Salary and equity for the placement track are set directly by hiring companies, on top of the fellowship programming.
The fellowship provides tangible financial support and deep access to the a16z ecosystem.
Alpha offers two paths depending on whether you want to found a company or join one.
The application process is streamlined but selective, with multiple interview stages.
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