Speedrun is a16z’s accelerator offering up to $1 million in funding, $8 million in cloud and service credits, and instant wire transfers. It pairs founders worldwide with in-house recruiters, banking and visa support, and a network of operators and mentors from top tech companies. Since 2023, it has deployed over $200 million across 250+ startups.

Twice a year a16z Speedrun hosts an invite-only Demo Day where selected founders deliver two-minute live pitches to top investors. The next session takes place October 6, 2026, and interested attendees must apply to join.

• a16z Speedrun's next Demo Day is October 6, 2026, an in-person invite-only event
• Selected founders get just two minutes each to pitch to top investors
• Attendance requires an invite or successful application, restricted to investors and approved guests
• The event runs twice a year, giving early access to startups before major funding rounds

This page invites you to nominate promising startup founders or teams for the a16z speedrun program. If your referral is accepted—or you send multiple strong candidates—you’ll earn an invite to the exclusive speedrun Scouts Community.

• a16z's Speedrun program accepts referrals of promising startup founders/teams via a simple email-based form
• Referring multiple strong candidates, especially ones a16z ends up backing, earns entry into a private "Scouts Community" for networking and early deal flow
• The process just requires submitting contact info and agreeing to a16z's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, with the team following up for a warm intro if interested

Founders from a16z Speedrun’s SR006 cohort pitched 90-second presentations at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts to over 1,000 in-person and 10,000 online viewers. After onstage demos covering everything from insurance tech to laundry-folding robots, entrepreneurs manned booths for deeper investor Q&A and showcased memorable branding moves. Applications for SR007 are now open.

• 60 founders from a16z Speedrun's SR006 cohort each gave 90-second pitches to 1,000+ live and 10,000+ online viewers at the Palace of Fine Arts.
• Beyond the onstage pitches, founders fielded deeper investor Q&A at booths and used memorable hooks (like Paypath's branded "Modern Debt Rebuilt" shirts) to stand out.
• Despite the high-production, rapid-fire format, founders still had to demonstrate real traction and technical feasibility, balancing storytelling with concrete metrics.
• Applications for the next cohort, SR007, are now open.

a16z Speedrun offers up to $1 million in funding and $5 million in credits for startups, plus hands-on support from operators across recruiting, marketing, go-to-market, HR, visa assistance, and more. The Summer/Fall SR007 cohort runs July 27–October 11, 2026; applications close May 17, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT. Late applications roll into the next cohort.

• a16z Speedrun invests up to $1 million per startup, plus access to over $5 million in credits from 250+ tool providers
• Program provides hands-on operator support (recruiting, marketing, HR, visa help) so startups don't need to hire specialists
• SR007 cohort runs July 27–October 11, 2026, with applications due May 17, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT (late applicants roll into next cohort)
• Joining connects founders to a network of 600+ peers for leads, feedback, and support

Founders seeking to improve their applications for the a16z speedrun program can benefit from understanding key positive signals that set successful candidates apart, as well as common pitfalls to avoid. Emphasizing co-founder relationships, traction, validation, and deep market understanding are crucial for standing out in a competitive landscape.

• Co-founder pairs with real history/rapport outperform newly-matched teams in resilience and effectiveness
• Investors weight velocity and genuine customer engagement (e.g. design partnerships) over raw revenue as proof of traction
• Idea quality matters most when backed by deep validation—extensive research and networking with industry players—rather than surface-level customer wins
• Founders should demonstrate deep understanding of the customer problem before pushing a solution, avoiding premature product-market misalignment