We built Disrupt for one reason: to back exceptional AI founders ready to break out globally. Founders who've built something real and are ready to win.

This time, we're taking it to Ho Chi Minh City, the most up-and-coming tech hub in Asia.

HCMC was named a Rising Star in Dealroom's Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2025. Vietnam is where the momentum is: deep technical talent, cost-effective operations, and a founder ecosystem that's scaling fast.

If you are ready to move fast and scale further, apply now.

Disrupt is a 4-week, high-intensity execution sprint designed for teams with working products and early traction. Unlike traditional accelerators focused on ideation, Disrupt is built for founders who have already validated their product and are ready to accelerate their go-to-market, land enterprise customers, and position for global expansion.

We invest $400,000 after 4 weeks, in a structure that is flexible for founders to raise their next round

Antler invests $400,000 net at the end of Week 4. No sprint fee. Founders pay nothing to participate. If you are curious about the full details of our investment terms, we lay it all out here.

In addition to capital, Disrupt companies receive:

• $650,000+ in AI perks from Day 1 — Cloud, compute, and AI credits from NVIDIA, OpenAI, AWS, Nebius, Databricks, and more. After funding, companies unlock access to $4M+ in total perks.
• Direct customer introductions — Antler's partners actively make introductions to enterprise customers and industry leaders, helping founders land pilots during the sprint.
• Global network access — Founders join a community of 1,000+ AI founders across 27 locations worldwide, with lifelong access to operators and investors who can accelerate their growth.
• Follow-on funding through Antler Elevate — As companies scale, Antler Elevate, the firm's global growth fund, provides follow-on capital for continued expansion.
• No board seat — Antler believes founders should control their boards at this stage. The firm is there to support, not to control.

Get the most out of the execution sprint

Disrupt is a 4-week execution sprint. You'll work hands-on with Antler partners on GTM, customer acquisition, and positioning for global scale. We make direct introductions to enterprise customers and industry leaders. We help you close pilots. We prepare you for IC.

At the end of Week 4, you pitch. Pass, and you walk away with capital, a global network, and the infrastructure to scale.

"Disrupt is for small, mighty teams with global ambition," said Winnie Khoo, Partner at Antler. "We're not here to help you find an idea. We're here to help you dominate your category."

We’re seeing an increasing trend where founders from Mainland China are breaking out to scale globally as geopolitical dynamics shift. We have set up the playbook to help founders navigate this, including setting up legal best practices that works for both Eastern and Western investors, and infrastructure that passes deeper scrutiny in future fundraising.

For founders not yet incorporated, Antler assists in setting up the right entity as part of the sprint. The sprint location doesn't restrict where founders build or scale.

We provide real boots on the ground for your US expansion

Disrupt alumni ready to expand into the US market can join Embark, a dedicated post-investment initiative designed to compress the typical 18–24 months of US market entry into 6 months of focused execution.

Embark is a high-intensity immersion designed to help founders land in the US and build real traction. In its first edition, 19 Antler-backed founders spent a month in the Bay Area, engaging in 40+ meetings with top-tier founders, operators, community connectors, and diaspora VCs who shared hard-won lessons on US product-market fit, go-to-market, and navigating life as a cross-border founder.

After the initial immersion, founders begin their US journey with dozens of warm connections and a close-knit community to tap into. Over the following 3–4 months, Embark facilitates bespoke customer and advisor introductions for every company. Once US traction is achieved, fundraising from US investors becomes a far more viable path.

How to Apply

Applications for Disrupt Spring 2026 are now open. The sprint runs from March 30 to April 20, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Fewer than 3% of applicants are selected for each cohort. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

‍Apply now at content.antler.co/disrupt