Program · Residency
Afore Capital Founder in Residence
Afore Capital Founder in Residence is Afore Capital's residency offering guaranteed investment and support for early-stage founders.
- Application state
- Accepting
Overview
What Afore Capital Founder in Residence offers
What Afore Capital Founder in Residence is
Afore Capital's Founder in Residence (FIR) program is an eight-week, in-person pre-accelerator launched in early 2025 alongside the firm's $185 million Fund IV. The FIR program takes founders from 'day -1' through ideation and company formation. Each cohort consists of 5-8 founders who work from Afore's South Park office in San Francisco, building alongside peers who are focused on shipping weekly. The program provides office space, structured ideation support, and access to over 10,000 potential users and design partners through the firm's product for founders. Upon completing the program, Afore commits to investing at least $100,000 to lead the founder's pre-seed round.
Operational profile
Program status and context
Program status describes the program itself. Application availability and deadlines remain separate.
- Operational status
- Active
- Program type
- Residency
- Host organization
- Afore Capital
- Last reviewed
- March 16, 2026
Terms and economics
Published program terms
- Investment
- $100,000
- Price
- Free
- Compensation
- Micro Fund
Compensation and economics
Guaranteed minimum $100K investment to lead the founder's pre-seed round. Afore's standard range is $200K-$800K.
Focus and fit
Who the program is for
Program thesis
Afore Capital positions itself as a 'first believer' rather than a validator, backing founders before they have a product, traction, or even a finalized idea. The program is designed to identify exceptional founders at the pre-seed stage and support them through structured ideation and guaranteed investment.
Eligibility
Open to technical, product-first founders who are pre-product. A university track is available for students.
Selection approach
The program is open to technical, product-first founders who are pre-product. Founders must be able to work from Afore's San Francisco office for the 8-week duration.
- Stages
- Pre-seed
- Regions
- United States
- Audience
- Founders · Students
Format and cadence
How participation works
- Presence
- In Person
- Main location
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Duration
- 8 weeks
- Cohort size
- 8
- Engagement
- Full Time
Delivery model
The program requires in-person attendance at Afore's South Park office in San Francisco.
Participation expectations
The program requires a full-time commitment for the 8-week duration.
Availability and engagement
Application timing and route
- Application state
- Accepting
- Admissions
- Open
Published timeline
The program lasts for 8 weeks with multiple cohorts per year.
Value and support
What participation may provide
Publicly described support is context, not a guarantee of current delivery or future benefit.
What participants may receive
Participants receive 8 weeks of office space in San Francisco's South Park, a peer cohort of 5-8 fellow builders, structured ideation and weekly shipping cadence, access to 10,000+ potential users and design partners, mentorship from Anamitra Banerji and the Afore team, and positioning with a recognized pre-seed VC as their first institutional investor.
Common questions
Program details at a glance
Afore Capital Founder in Residence is published in Upseed as a residency program hosted by Afore Capital. Upseed treats the Program and its host Organization as separate records so each can have its own status and sources.
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 16, 2026
Known limits
Terms, deadlines, and application states can change. Confirm current details at the published destination before acting. Upseed does not yet classify every Program destination as official.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or the official representative of this program or its host.