The best way to launch your new startup in Austin.
A better on ramp to Venture Capital for founders who want to change the world.
Antler is not just another Venture Capital fund.
The future will be built by Founders, and we are here to help.
Antler is a six week, in person residency for you to launch your startup from scratch. We surround you with everything you need to build at lightning speed. A community of like-minded founders to build with. Coaching from our team of proven founders and advisors. Perks from hundreds of partners. A global network at your fingertips, and most important, simple, straight forward funding.
We are building the future of Venture Capital for the next generation of founders.
A better way to fund your startup.
Raising capital to build your company can be as hard as building your company. We are here to give founders a clear and transparent pathway to funding.
After 6 weeks of residency building with us, you will have the opportunity to pitch our investment committee for pre-seed funding to launch your startup. One pitch, one committee and a decision in just 24 hours. If you receive funding we will write you a check for $150,000 post money SAFE for 7% of your new company. If you don't receive funding, we will sit down and tell you exactly why - 100% transparency.
In addition to this pre-seed funding, Antler has the ability to continue investing in our startups all the way through series C, making us the perfect financing partner for the life of your startup.
Coaching from real, successful founders.
Advice on the internet on how to build a startup is often more hurtful than helpful.
Each startup is different and has its own unique needs and priorities. Antler gives you access to real coaches who have built real companies that can help you every step of the way. We believe our founders should always decide what they want to build, we are here to help you figure out how to build it. Coaching is hands on and customized for your particular needs.
No vague and general curriculum, just real coaches helping you build.
A community to build with.
Building a company is hard, it's even harder to do all alone.
Antler is designed so you get the opportunity to build inside of a community of other hand selected founders. You will have an immediate community of 20 - 30 founders in your batch, working side by side with you on location as well as access to Antler's global founder network. 1,000s of founders around the globe to collaborate with.
Whether you need tactical help or just someone to bounce ideas off of, Antler surrounds you with a strong community support structure.
A global network at your fingertips.
One of the challenging aspects to launching a new company is building new networks.
Say goodbye to cold outreach on LinkedIn and say hello to Antler's global network platform. With 14 locations across the world and counting, Antler put a massive global network right at your fingertips. Regardless of who you are looking to meet, we can find a way to get you in front of them.
This helps our founders spend more time building and less time trying to meet people.
What does Antler look for in founders?
We're looking for hungry, driven, gritty founders who are beginning the journey of starting a new venture that can change the world. Maybe you've just started building, but haven't yet raised capital; or maybe you've got an idea and are thinking about getting started, but haven't quite made the leap. Either way, if you're in the earliest days of launching a startup, Antler is the right place for you to bring your idea to life.
Are you still working with founders remotely? Or are you back in person?
After almost two years of working with founders remotely, we have officially headed back into the office. We believe in the magic and serendipity of working together in person and are committed to continuing to launch new Antler locations across the U.S.
As of this March 2022, we are working with founders exclusively in person. We are running concurrent programs running in two US cities: Austin and New York (with more locations coming soon). Apply here now.
Do I need to be full time?
Yes. Building a new venture is a full time job and we only want to work with founders who are fully committed to the process.
Where are you based?
Currently we are in New York City, Austin, and Boulder with plans on launching more locations across the U.S. very soon. Our offices are in Hudson Yards in NYC and North Congress (downtown) in Austin.
Do I need to be a US citizen or US greencard holder to work with you in the US?
Yes. Our U.S. fund works exclusively with U.S. founders - if that's not you, we fortunately have other programs across the globe.
What stage do you invest in?
We are focused on providing founders better access to capital at the very beginning of their journey, so we back founders where we can be the first investor in. We'll invest as early as a clearly defined product statement and roadmap to your MVP, we'll even help you incorporate your new venture if necessary.
Which industries do you invest in?
We are industry agnostic and invest across all technology sectors.
If I'm accepted to Antler, what comes next?
Here is an overview of what you can expect during your time at Antler:
- Phase 1: In Phase 1, founders will have 6 weeks to develop an idea and plan of action. There's no coursework here: your entire focus will be on turning your ideas into investable businesses. The Antler team will provide guidance and coaching as you work to identify areas of opportunity, iterate on your ideas, conduct customer discovery and research, beta test as quickly as possible, and build your product roadmap and GTM strategy. During this time, we'll also host weekly town hall meetings, social sessions, office hours, and speaker series with industry experts and Antler advisors.Most importantly you'll be surrounded by 30 hand selected founders to work beside, brainstorming ideas, testing assumptions, sharing expertise and building close bonds.
- Pitch Week: Founders have the opportunity to pitch Antler's Investment Team for $150,000 post money SAFE for 7% of your new company.
- Phase 2: From here on, it's an all out sprint on execution. You'll work with your dedicated Antler coach to build a clear plan, setting key objectives and KPIs that you and your team will need to hit to ensure your business finds product market fit and continues scaling. You'll keep iterating on your business model, build your MVP, create a hiring plan, devise a killer GTM strategy, and map out plans for your seed fundraise alongside our team.
Why are you doing this?
Our team shares a deep conviction that entrepreneurship is the career path of the future and we believe that every hungry, driven, gritty person who wants to build a startup should be able to do exactly that. After working for years in venture backed companies and seeing our exceptional friends and colleagues struggle to find early support for their own new ventures, we decided to build a better on ramp to venture capital. Our mission is to provide founders with a structured and transparent process to successfully launch a new venture, a community for support throughout the experience, and a clear pathway to venture funding.