by On Deck
The On Deck Founder Fellowship is a community-driven program that connects ambitious founders with peers, mentors, and investors. While it does not provide direct funding, it offers one of the strongest founder networks in tech.
Apply NowCommunity & network (no direct funding)
10 weeks + ongoing community
Global
Open to aspiring and active founders worldwide. No age restrictions. Fellowship fee applies with need-based scholarships available. Applicants are evaluated on ambition, track record, and what they can contribute to the community.
Rolling (multiple cohorts per year)
The On Deck Founder Fellowship (ODF) is designed for people who are actively building or about to start a company. Unlike traditional accelerators, On Deck focuses primarily on community and network effects rather than capital. The program brings together cohorts of ambitious founders and provides structured programming, peer accountability, and access to a curated network of operators, investors, and domain experts.
What makes On Deck unique is the density and quality of its community. Each cohort includes founders across a wide range of stages and sectors, creating organic opportunities for collaboration, customer discovery, co-founder matching, and fundraising introductions. The program runs for 10 weeks with weekly sessions, small-group discussions, and 1:1 matching, but the community access is ongoing.
On Deck has expanded beyond founders to include fellowships for writers, podcast hosts, angels, and other creator archetypes, but the Founder Fellowship remains the flagship program. Notable alumni have gone on to raise from top-tier VCs and build companies across AI, fintech, climate, and healthcare.
On Deck provides community infrastructure and network access that would take years to build independently.
On Deck is best suited for founders who are early in their journey and want to accelerate through community rather than capital.
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