Organization · Incubator
On Deck
On Deck is an incubator based in the United States that supports early-stage founders and startups. Founded in 2020, it helps entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of building and scaling their companies.
Overview
What On Deck does
What On Deck is
On Deck is an incubator based in the United States that supports early-stage founders and startups. Founded in 2020, it helps entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of building and scaling their companies.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports funder and program host and community capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Incubator
- Founded
- Founded in 2020
- Approximate age
- About 6 years
- Structured capabilities
- Funder · Program host · Community
- Last reviewed
- March 7, 2026
What Incubator means
An incubator is a support environment for turning a nascent idea or early company into a startup that is more ready for customers, funding, or an accelerator.
Open the glossary entryOfficial channels
Find On Deck elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
On Deck as a funder
Investment thesis
On Deck focuses on empowering individuals to become successful founders through community support and structured programs. Their Founder Fellowship program is designed to help participants develop their business ideas without taking equity.
Focus narrative
On Deck offers a Founder Fellowship program, which is an intensive one-week in-person experience designed for participants to meet collaborators and develop their business ideas. The program does not take equity from participants and provides access to a community platform with over 3,000 members, as well as various perks from partners like Mercury, AWS, and Stripe Atlas.
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed · Seed+
- Regions
- North America
Availability
- Currently deploying
- Not published
Portfolio and track record
- Recorded portfolio count
- 17
Portfolio context
Notable companies that have emerged from the On Deck Founder Fellowship include: Loyal, Luma, Cal.com, Lassie, atob, Traba, Levels, Partiful, Finch, Shepherd, Salsa, Roots, Rollfi, Overflow, Roo, Tofu, Settle, Pave, Cal.ai. These companies have collectively raised over $2 billion from prominent investors such as Khosla Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and others.
Capability profile
On Deck as a program host
Program thesis
Founder fellowship and community platform. Originally $125K for 7% via ODX fund. Pivoted after 2022 layoffs to community-first model. Now primarily non-dilutive fellowship (ODF) with pay-what-you-can pricing.
Focus narrative
ODF is a 10-week selective fellowship (3% acceptance rate) with weekly masterclasses, deal labs, executive coaching. Pay-what-you-can model ($1K). ODX accelerator fund ($125K for 7%) is being wound down. Sector programs in Climate Tech, Health Tech, Fintech, EdTech, Longevity. Backed by Khosla, Sequoia, a16z, Founders Fund, General Catalyst, Benchmark, Index.
Value and support
Lifetime community access. Cofounder matching. Investor pipeline and warm intros. 500+ VC and angel network. Talent pool for hiring. Deal-sharing with partner funds. Executive coaching. No equity required for ODF fellowship.
Terms and economics
- Indicative investment
- $125,000
- Indicative equity
- 7%
Format and cadence
- Typical duration
- 10 weeks
- Format
- Hybrid
Availability
- Application state
- Accepting
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Pre-seed
- Regions
- United States
Alumni and track record
Alumni context
650+ companies founded, $800M+ raised. 1,000+ companies in network worth $9B+. 2021: 80 companies raised $23M+ from 300 fellows. Portfolio spans seed through Series B. Swapstack exit (Sep 2023). On Deck alumni include operators from Google, Meta, and top-tier tech companies.
Capability profile
On Deck as a community
Community overview
On Deck is an organization that supports individuals in starting companies. It was founded to provide a structured environment for aspiring founders to connect, explore ideas, and gain conviction in their entrepreneurial pursuits. The organization is based in San Francisco, California.
Community focus
On Deck offers a Founder Fellowship program, which is an intensive one-week in-person experience designed for participants to meet collaborators and develop their business ideas. The program does not take equity from participants and provides access to a community platform with over 3,000 members, as well as various perks from partners like Mercury, AWS, and Stripe Atlas. The organization has facilitated the launch of more than 1,000 startups.
Member value
Members gain access to a structured environment for collaboration, a community platform with over 3,000 members, and various perks from partners. The program helps participants develop their business ideas and connect with potential collaborators.
Membership
- Recorded members
- 3,000
- Pricing models
- free
Format and cadence
- Modality
- in-person
- Schedule
- cohort-based
- Commitment
- light
Availability
- Membership state
- Accepting
Audience and fit
- Audience
- Founders
- Benefits
- network-access and mentorship
- Program types
- incubator and community
- Selection criteria
- open
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Regions
- United States
Community activity
Events and activity
The Founder Fellowship program is an intensive one-week in-person experience where participants meet collaborators and develop their business ideas.
Notable members
Notable companies that have emerged from the On Deck Founder Fellowship include Loyal, Luma, Cal.com, Lassie, atob, Traba, Levels, Partiful, Finch, Shepherd, Salsa, Roots, Rollfi, Overflow, Roo, Tofu, Settle, Pave, and Cal.ai. These companies have collectively raised over $2 billion from prominent investors such as Khosla Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Andreessen Horowitz.
Common questions
What to know about On Deck
Upseed classifies On Deck under the Incubator organization type. Its current public profile includes funder, program host, and community capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
March 7, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.