Source library
Opportunity graph
Every item includes a source, trust note, category, modality, and founder-facing action.
Hackathons
7
Build sprints, bounties, and shipping competitions.
Accelerators
8
Cohorts, venture studios, and mentor-led programs.
Funding
1
Non-dilutive capital, credits, and grant windows.
Incentives
13
Startup credits, software discounts, banking perks, and runway savers.
Upcoming events
5
Founder conferences, summits, and investor rooms.
Competitions
2
Pitch contests and startup prize tracks.
Launch channels
4
Channels for shipping, feedback, and distribution.
Talent network
4
Interns, new grads, and startup job channels.
| Resource | Category | Timing | Access | Source | Trust note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Build with Gemini XPRIZE A 90-day global builder competition focused on shipping real AI applications and businesses with Google Gemini. | hackathon | Aug 17, 2026 | Free | XPRIZE via Devpost | Scraped from HackList spotlight on June 20, 2026. |
QVAC Edge AI Hackathon An edge AI hackathon centered on local-first systems, privacy-preserving AI applications, and on-device intelligence. | hackathon | Jun 21, 2026 | Free | QVAC via DoraHacks | HackList listed it as closing in 1 day on June 20, 2026. |
LaunchHacks V A product-first online hackathon built around execution, creativity, and shipping usable AI products. | hackathon | Jun 22, 2026 | Free | LaunchHacks via Devpost | HackList listed it as closing in 2 days on June 20, 2026. |
Sui Overflow 2026 Sui's flagship global hackathon for builders working on scalable blockchain products and adjacent AI workflows. | hackathon | Jun 30, 2026 | Free | Sui Foundation via DeepSurge | HackList listed it as closing in 10 days on June 20, 2026. |
Slack Agent Builder Challenge A builder challenge for AI-powered Slack agents with promotion across the Slack ecosystem and a Dreamforce path. | hackathon | Jul 13, 2026 | Free | Slack via Devpost | HackList listed it as closing in 23 days on June 20, 2026. |
RevenueCat Shipaton 2026 A global mobile hackathon for shipping a brand-new iOS, Android, or Mac app with RevenueCat-powered purchases during August and September. | hackathon | Aug 1, 2026 | Free | Devpost via X signal | RevenueCat posted Shipaton organizer applications on X; the official Devpost page lists August 1-September 30, 2026 and $425,000+ in prizes. |
RAISE Summit Hackathon A Paris AI hackathon run with Cerebral Valley and sponsor tooling, designed around fast demos, summit visibility, and real business problems. | hackathon | Jul 4, 2026 | Free | X post and RAISE | Discovered from X partner posts; official RAISE materials describe the hackathon, Paris venue, sponsor tooling, and €250,000+ prize opportunity. |
Host a Shipaton IRL Event RevenueCat is accepting local hosts for Shipaton IRL events, including campus hackathon nights, club workshops, weekend build sprints, and community meetups. | conference | Rolling | Free | Shipaton via X signal | RevenueCat posted the host call on X; the official Shipaton events page says approved hosts receive physical and digital organizer resources. |
Y Combinator Fall 2026 YC is accepting applications for its Fall 2026 batch, which runs from October to December in San Francisco. | accelerator | Jul 27, 2026 | Equity | Y Combinator | Official YC page lists July 27, 2026 at 8pm PT as the on-time deadline. |
Techstars Accelerators Techstars maintains a broad accelerator directory across locations and verticals, including Anywhere, AI Health, Space, and climate-adjacent programs. | accelerator | Rolling | Equity | Techstars | Official Techstars accelerator directory lists active programs and application filters. |
Google for Startups Accelerator Three-month Google accelerator programs tailored by region and sector for startups that can benefit from Google product and technical expertise. | accelerator | Rolling | Free | Google for Startups | Official Google for Startups accelerator page. |
Sequoia Arc Sequoia's Arc path is a recurring open call and company-building program for outlier pre-seed and seed founders. | accelerator | Rolling | Equity | Sequoia Arc | Official Sequoia Arc materials describe Arc as a bi-annual open call for pre-seed and seed founders; keep this as a watch item between cohorts. |
a16z speedrun a16z speedrun invests in new startups and gives founders concentrated operator support, credits, demo day exposure, and fundraising help. | accelerator | Rolling | Equity | a16z speedrun | Official speedrun application page says the SR007 deadline passed on May 17, 2026, and late submissions are considered for a future cohort. |
SPC Founder Fellowship South Park Commons runs founder fellowship cohorts for people moving from conviction to company, with offices, programming, partner support, and capital. | fellowship | Sep 28, 2026 | Equity | South Park Commons | Official SPC page says Fall 2026 applications open this summer and the cohort kicks off in late September. |
Neo Residency + Funding Neo Residency is a selective startup residency with startup funding, student builder support, compute credits, mentorship, and community access. | accelerator | Rolling | Dilutive | Neo | Official Neo Residency page says the 2026 residency deadline has passed and points founders to year-round pre-seed or seed funding contact. |
Interior Northeast I-Corps Courses Regional I-Corps courses help research teams test customer discovery, validate markets, and build a stronger path toward commercialization and NSF follow-on programs. | accelerator | Aug 26, 2026 | Free | Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub | Official hub event list shows upcoming September 2026 regional courses with August and September application deadlines. |
Entrepreneur First The Bridge The Bridge brings selected founders to the Bay Area for an eight-week residency with housing, board, visa support, advisors, credits, and a demo day. | accelerator | Rolling | Equity | Entrepreneur First | Official EF announcement says The Bridge runs several cohorts each year, supports 40-50 entrepreneurs per group, and provides housing and board. |
Z Fellows Z Fellows gives builders a focused week to go all in on a project, learn from Silicon Valley mentors, and get investor and founder access. | fellowship | Rolling | Dilutive | Z Fellows | Official Z Fellows FAQ says applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with no submission deadline. |
Anthropic Fellows Program Anthropic Fellows is a mentored AI safety research fellowship for technical talent working on empirical projects and public research outputs. | fellowship | Rolling | Free | Anthropic | Official Anthropic application says fellows are reviewed on a rolling basis for cohorts starting in July 2026 and beyond. |
a16z Build Fellowships a16z Build fellowships are eight-week cohorts for world-class leaders to connect, share learnings, and level up around emerging company-building disciplines. | fellowship | Rolling | Free | a16z Build | Official a16z Build fellowship page describes eight-week cohorts and open fellowship applications. |
Blue Ridge Labs Founder Fellowship Blue Ridge Labs helps social impact founders move from idea to MVP through research, user feedback, product support, mentorship, and showcase access. | fellowship | Sep 1, 2026 | Free | Robin Hood Blue Ridge Labs | Official Blue Ridge Labs page describes a 20-week fellowship path and a $20,000 stipend for selected fellows advancing to the build phase. |
BackersStage Startup Program BackersStage reviews early Web3 startups and connects selected founders with global investors, mentors, partners, and curated demo-day surfaces. | investor | Rolling | Free | BackersStage | Official BackersStage apply page says founders can apply to pitch and be connected with relevant investors across its global network. |
1517 Fund + Flux Watch 1517 backs founders outside conventional credential paths and periodically runs Flux for moonshot science and frontier technology projects. | investor | Rolling | Equity | 1517 Fund | 1517's official site describes grants, angel-to-seed investments, and a global community; the 2026 Flux deadline has passed, so this stays as a watch item. |
AWS Activate Credits AWS Activate offers startup credit tiers based on funding stage, including direct credits for bootstrapped founders and larger Activate Portfolio packages. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | AWS Startups | Official AWS page lists up to $5,000 for Activate Founders and up to $200,000 for Activate Portfolio. |
Google for Startups Cloud Program Google's startup cloud program gives eligible startups cloud credits, AI support, Firebase runway, and Google-wide startup benefits. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | Google Cloud | Official Google Cloud startup page lists up to $200,000 in cloud credits, or up to $350,000 for AI-first startups. |
Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Microsoft's startup hub provides technical benefits, Azure credits, AI tooling access, and founder resources for early-stage teams. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | Microsoft for Startups | Official Microsoft for Startups page describes Azure credits and technical benefits for founders. |
Cloudflare Startup Program Cloudflare's startup program gives early teams infrastructure credits, community support, and tiered benefits based on company stage. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | Cloudflare | Official Cloudflare startup page describes tiered credits, including a $10,000 bootstrapped tier and higher-stage tiers. |
Vercel for Startups Credits Vercel's startup program offers credits for Pro usage, deployment, scaling, and AI app infrastructure. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | Vercel | Official Vercel startup credits page says eligible startups can receive up to $30,000 toward the platform. |
Neon Startup Program Neon's startup program supports eligible companies with Postgres credits for serverless databases and developer-first workflows. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | Neon | Official Neon startup page advertises $100,000 in credits for eligible startup program applicants. |
ElevenLabs Startup Grants ElevenLabs grants give selected startups extended access to AI audio tooling so teams can prototype and launch voice products with less burn. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | ElevenLabs | Official ElevenLabs startup grants page lists 12 months free and 33M characters for startup grant recipients. |
MongoDB for Startups MongoDB for Startups offers Atlas credits, technical guidance, AI data platform support, and ecosystem benefits for eligible startups. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | MongoDB | Official MongoDB startup page describes expanded credits, hands-on technical support, and startup scaling resources. |
Mercury Perks Mercury's perks directory bundles startup software credits and discounts, including AWS and Supabase offers for eligible customers. | incentive | Rolling | Free | Mercury | Official Mercury perks page lists curated startup deals, including AWS credits and Supabase credits. |
HubSpot for Startups HubSpot's startup program gives eligible founders deep discounts on HubSpot products plus startup-specific training and community access. | incentive | Rolling | Paid | HubSpot | Official HubSpot for Startups page describes 30-90% startup discounts, training, and founder community benefits. |
Stripe Startups Stripe's startup program gives eligible early-stage startups financial benefits, fee credits or waived processing, expert resources, and community access. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | Stripe | Official Stripe Startups page describes financial benefits, offers, community, and expert resources for venture-backed startups. |
Notion for Startups Notion gives eligible startups free Business Plan access with Notion AI so early teams can reduce tooling cost and centralize work. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | Notion | Official Notion startup page says eligible startups can get Business Plan free for up to 6 months. |
DigitalOcean Startups DigitalOcean's startup program supports early teams with cloud credits, startup resources, and founder-friendly infrastructure guidance. | incentive | Rolling | Credits | DigitalOcean | Official DigitalOcean startups page describes startup credits, usage coverage, and program support details. |
NSF SBIR/STTR Full Proposal NSF SBIR/STTR funding supports early-stage deep-tech R&D. Full proposal deadlines are listed for July and November 2026. | funding | Jul 27, 2026 | Non-dilutive | NSF SBIR | Official NSF SBIR page lists July 27, 2026 and November 4, 2026 full proposal deadlines. |
Metro East Start-Up Challenge 2026 A regional business plan competition with mentorship, cash prizes, and professional services for local entrepreneurs. | competition | Aug 9, 2026 | Free | The Intelligencer | Local report says applications opened June 14, 2026 and close August 9, 2026. |
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 A major startup conference in San Francisco with founder, investor, and operator programming plus Startup Battlefield exposure. | conference | Oct 13, 2026 | Paid | TechCrunch | Official TechCrunch page lists October 13-15, 2026 in San Francisco. |
Web Summit 2026 Web Summit returns to Lisbon with startup programming, investor access, media surfaces, and partner opportunities. | conference | Nov 9, 2026 | Paid | Web Summit | Official Web Summit page lists November 9-12, 2026 in Lisbon. |
Slush 2026 A founder-focused startup event in Helsinki with investor day, meeting tools, side events, and strong European ecosystem density. | conference | Nov 18, 2026 | Paid | Slush | Official Slush page lists November 18-19, 2026 in Helsinki. |
Startup World Cup A global pitch competition with regional events across continents and a high-visibility Silicon Valley finale. | competition | Rolling | Free | Startup World Cup | Official Startup World Cup site describes 100+ regional competitions across six continents. |
OpenAI DevDay 2026 OpenAI DevDay is a major developer conference for product launches, technical sessions, ecosystem networking, and startup signal around OpenAI's platform. | conference | Sep 29, 2026 | Paid | OpenAI | Official OpenAI DevDay page lists September 29, 2026 in San Francisco and lets interested attendees sign up for application reminders. |
Product Hunt Launch A launch channel and guide for preparing assets, timing, goals, community participation, and product storytelling. | launch | Rolling | Community | Product Hunt | Official Product Hunt launch guide. |
Show HN A high-signal public feedback channel for demos, technical products, open-source projects, and founder launches. | launch | Rolling | Community | Hacker News | Official Hacker News Show page. |
Launch HN A curated launch path for YC companies where the HN team helps craft a launch post and reviews submissions. | launch | Rolling | Community | Hacker News | Official Launch HN instructions page. |
Work at a Startup YC's startup jobs platform lets candidates create a single profile and browse thousands of startup roles. | talent | Rolling | Free | Y Combinator Jobs | YC jobs page says candidates can apply with a single profile and lists thousands of startup roles. |
GitHub Student Developer Pack A student resource bundle with developer tools, cloud hosting, learning resources, and partner offers that can lower early build costs. | talent | Rolling | Free | GitHub Education | Official GitHub Education page describes the Student Developer Pack and eligibility. |
Wellfound Startup Talent Wellfound is a startup talent marketplace for remote and local roles across engineering, product, design, marketing, sales, and operations. | talent | Rolling | Free | Wellfound | Official Wellfound pages describe startup and remote job search, salary and equity visibility, and a large startup talent marketplace. |
We Work Remotely We Work Remotely is a remote job board with category filters for programming, design, product, customer support, sales, and marketing. | talent | Rolling | Community | We Work Remotely | Official We Work Remotely pages expose remote job categories and search filters across common startup roles. |
Techstars Mentor Network Techstars programs combine small classes with mentorship, capital access, and a global network for founders. | mentor | Rolling | Equity | Techstars | Official Techstars accelerator hub highlights active mentors and accelerator support. |
YC Founder + Startup Directory YC's public startup and founder directories help founders research comparable companies and ecosystem relationships. | investor | Rolling | Free | Y Combinator | Official YC directory surfaces companies, founders, jobs, and Launch YC resources. |
OpenVC Investor Database OpenVC gives founders a searchable fundraising platform with verified investors, direct application paths, and CRM-style pipeline support. | investor | Rolling | Free | OpenVC | Official OpenVC page describes a free fundraising platform with 20,000+ verified investors across VCs, angels, family offices, and accelerators. |
NFX Signal Signal maps founders, investors, scouts, and angels so startups can search investors and understand potential warm intro paths. | investor | Rolling | Free | NFX Signal | Official Signal page says it is a free tool for founders to find the right investors and strongest intro paths. |
OpenVC Web3 Investor List OpenVC's Web3 investor list helps founders identify crypto-native VCs, Web3-active generalist funds, angels, and ecosystem funding paths. | investor | Rolling | Free | OpenVC | Official OpenVC Web3 list names crypto-native and generalist Web3 funding categories for founders preparing outreach. |
Product Hunt News + Stories Daily product launches, maker stories, and product trend signals for founders calibrating positioning and launch timing. | news | Rolling | Community | Product Hunt | Official Product Hunt home surfaces daily launches, news, forums, and launch resources. |
GitHub Trending Repositories GitHub Trending is a live signal surface for repositories gaining attention, useful for spotting emerging infrastructure, agent tools, and builder adoption. | news | Rolling | Community | GitHub Trending | Official GitHub Trending page surfaces repositories gaining community attention across languages and time windows. |
GitHub Explore GitHub Explore curates trending projects, topic collections, and community recommendations that can help founders spot where builders are moving. | news | Rolling | Community | GitHub Explore | Official GitHub Explore describes itself as a guide to trending projects and the GitHub community. |
Product Hunt Daily Launches Daily Product Hunt launches give founders a read on what makers are shipping, how products are positioned, and where early users are responding. | launch | Rolling | Community | Product Hunt | Product Hunt is the official launch surface; its API documentation also describes a GraphQL API for Product Hunt data. |
Reddit Founder Signal Watch A watchlist for high-signal startup subreddits such as r/startups, r/SaaS, r/Entrepreneur, r/indiehackers, r/ProductHunters, and r/ycombinator. | forum | Rolling | Community | Reddit subreddit top/week pages expose current community discussions; production ingestion should use compliant Reddit API access. | |
Hacker News Search Signal HN Search powered by Algolia gives a programmable way to track Show HN, Ask HN, jobs, comments, and founder-relevant technical conversations. | news | Rolling | Community | HN Search | HN Search API documentation describes REST access to Hacker News data through Algolia-powered endpoints. |
Founder Community Watchlist A maintained internal watchlist for founder forums: Indie Hackers, relevant Reddit communities, Slack/Discord groups, Product Hunt discussions, and Hacker News. | forum | Rolling | Community | FounderReach research layer | Seeded from launch-channel research and built to accept community submissions. |