by Founders, Inc.
A startup studio and residency at Fort Mason SF for founders solving hard problems in AI, AR/VR, hardware, and robotics. Apply, build for 1–2 weeks, then get investment.
Visit ProgramUndisclosed
4–7% equity
4–6 weeks
Continuous
Rolling
San Francisco (Fort Mason)
No
United States
2/14/2026
Founders, Inc. is a community, startup studio, and fund based at a 42,000 sq ft campus at Fort Mason in San Francisco. They focus on emerging tech — AI, AR/VR, hardware, robotics, and consumer — and take founders from -1 to 0.
The model is unconventional: accepted founders build at the Fort Mason lab for 1–2 weeks, and based on that work, f.inc decides whether to invest (4–7% equity). Resources include assigned desks, a hardware lab, media recording studio, gym, 1:1 office hours, and fundraising support. Over 100 investments in the last 3 years.
Build-first culture with a hardware lab, media studio, and immediate access to a founder community. Investment decisions are based on what you build, not a pitch deck.
Technical founders building in emerging tech (AI, hardware, robotics) who want a workspace-first environment and hate pitch decks.
No pitch decks, no formal applications in the traditional sense. You apply, build at the lab, and get funded based on what you create.
Source: Founders, Inc.
Browse high-signal problems and validate demand before your next application cycle.