Afore Founders in Residence is a 2-month in-person SF program for technical founders from pre-idea to early traction, $250K-$750K, ~10 teams. Rolling.
Afore Founders in Residence is a two-month, in-person program in San Francisco for technical founders who are anywhere from pre-idea to early traction. Afore invests between $250K and $750K, and each cohort has about ten teams, so founders get substantial attention from the Afore partners.
The Spring 2027 cohort begins on February 1, 2027. Afore invests on a rolling basis throughout the year, so there is no fixed application deadline, and founders can apply whenever they are ready. Founders should check the official page for the latest cohort start date before planning travel or relocation.
The program is aimed at technical founders who want to work alongside investors who are comfortable at the earliest stage, including before a product or team is fully formed. A small cohort and an in-person setting encourage close collaboration with Afore and with fellow founders, and the check size gives teams room to build without raising a larger round immediately. It is a good fit for engineers and researchers who want to start a company and prefer a hands-on, high-touch investor to a large-batch accelerator. Confirm the current terms with Afore before applying.
Most applications for programs like this ask for a short pitch deck, a clear description of the team and evidence of traction or customer conversations. Founders should tighten their story before applying and submit as soon as the application is complete, because rolling review tends to reward early, well-prepared submissions over last-minute ones.
Our pitch deck template will guide you through the requirements of an Accelerator-ready presentation.
