⚡From a16z to Techstars: Who’s Funding Founders Next?

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🚨 9 Startup Accelerators

⚡ From a16z to Techstars: Who’s Funding Founders Next?

Nine top accelerators are actively taking applications right now—and each comes with its own mix of cash, credits, and equity trade-offs:

• a16z Speedrun (SR006): $1M + $5M credits (10% SAFE, deadline Sept 28)

• Techstars: $220K (5% CEA + uncapped SAFE, deadline Nov 19)

• Greylock Edge: Pre-seed checks up to $500K (negotiated equity, rolling)

• Accel Atoms: Up to $1M (equity varies, rolling)

• Startup Wise Guys: €90K (~$100K) for 9–12% (autumn cohorts)

• Pear VC X: $250K–$2M (deadline Sept 13)

• Afore Capital FIR: $100K–$250K initial, up to $1M+ (rolling)

• Unusual Ventures Academy: Up to $1M SAFE, 3% fee (final deadline Sept 26)

• HF0 Residency: $1M uncapped SAFE for 5% (cohort starts Sept 13)

💡 Each program has its own edge—some heavy on capital, others on network, some flexible, some structured.

👉 The real question: Which accelerator would you stake your next chapter on?

But here’s the overlooked truth: VCs aren’t the only ones writing checks. Thousands of angel investors are actively scouting for the next breakout founder.

👉 Unlock access to 1000+ angel investors who are funding early-stage startups right now.

🌟 Figma, DoorDash, Twilio—Your Future Mentors?

⚡ a16z’s Speedrun Could Launch the Next Unicorn

🚨 A16z’s Speedrun (SR006) has just opened applications—one of the most coveted programs for early-stage founders.

Here’s what makes it stand out:

• 💰 Up to $1M investment + $5M+ credits (AWS, OpenAI, NVIDIA, GCP, Stripe)

• 🏢 12 weeks in-person at a16z HQ, San Francisco

• 🤝 1:1 support across GTM, hiring, legal, recruiting, and capital

• 🌟 Mentorship from unicorn founders of Figma, DoorDash, Twilio, Airtable, and Behance

• 🍽️ Private dinners with Marc Andreessen & Ben Horowitz

• 🌐 600+ founder community for customer intros and product feedback

With $100M being deployed into Speedrun startups this September alone, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

📅 Program: Jan 26 – Apr 12, 2026
⏳ Deadline: Sept 28, 2025
🔗 Apply here.

👉 The question is simple: which founder will grab this launchpad and turn it into the next unicorn?

🚀 Top B2B AI Sales Enablement Tools

🕵️ Find Leads 10x Faster With AI-Powered Sales Tools

In today’s competitive B2B landscape, top-performing sales teams are leveraging AI-powered tools to close more deals, faster. Here’s a curated list of solutions revolutionizing the sales process:

• 🎯 Sellible – Role-play sales conversations with AI buyers.

• 📊 FirstQuadrant – Keep teams organized & deals on track.

• 📈 FunnelAIQ – AI-powered survey funnels to nurture leads.

• 📞 AQX – AI voice agents for 24/7 sales & support.

• 💰 QuotaPath – Automate commissions with 100% accuracy.

• 🗣️ Nomi – Real-time sales copilot for Zoom/GMeet.

• ⚡ Nash – Connect with any app, service, or file.

• 📋 Thread – Prep, personalize & follow up, save ~4 hrs/week.

• 💬 mention.click – Discover leads via Reddit conversations.

• 📧 Wiza – Find verified emails & phone numbers instantly.

💡 Whether it’s lead generation, sales coaching, AI voice agents, or workflow automation, these tools are shaping the future of sales enablement.

🔗 Explore more & see which one fits your sales stack.

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🎯 Startups Buzz

🚀 How 3-Person Teams Are Scaling to $10M ARR

Tiny AI startups are proving that lean teams + smart tools can hit $10M ARR faster than ever imagined. The secret isn’t headcount—it’s leverage.

👉 Read how founders are scaling small but winning big

🛑 What Airbnb’s Brian Chesky Learned From Burnout

Airbnb’s co-founder hit burnout during hypergrowth—and came back stronger by reshaping how he worked. His lessons can help founders avoid costly burnout while scaling.

👉 See the 7 lessons every founder should know

🤖 The Hidden Role of AI in Closing Sales Faster

AI is quietly transforming how deals are closed—picking the right leads, shortening sales cycles, and giving reps more conversations that count.

👉 Explore the AI strategies accelerating sales success

💸 Would You Take VC Money From a DAO?

Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are now backing startups, raising a bold question: should founders accept capital from communities instead of traditional VCs?

👉 Dive into the DAO-funding wave

🌍 The Silent Startup Boom Happening in Tier-2 Cities

India’s tier-2 and tier-3 cities are emerging as fertile grounds for innovation, with local founders building scalable ventures beyond metros.

👉 See why the next unicorn might not be from a metro

🙅 Why the Best Startup Skill Might Be Saying No

Saying yes to everything drains focus. The founders who win big are the ones who say no—relentlessly—to protect their time and energy.

👉 Learn why ‘No’ is the ultimate growth skill

🎯 WEB PICKS

💼 OpenAI Takes on LinkedIn with AI Jobs Platform!
An AI-powered career network is coming in 2026, promising smarter matches based on skills, experience, and even online presence.

🌐 Atlassian Snaps Up The Browser Company for $610M!
Their bet? Dia — the AI browser built to transform how teams work online.

🍽️ Trump Hosts Tech Titans: $1 Trillion Pledge for U.S. Tech!
Apple, OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank, and NVIDIA commit massive investments at a White House dinner.

📚 Melania Trump Leads K-12 AI Education Revolution!
A new executive order launches nationwide AI learning, with 135+ organizations backing the “AI-ready workforce” push.

⚖️ Warner Bros Sues Midjourney: $150K Per Image!
The studio is fighting back against AI-generated Batman, Superman, and DC character art.

🪖 U.S. Army Invests $99M in AI That Spots Threats in 20 Seconds!
TurbineOne’s offline software aims to neutralize drones and other dangers faster than ever.

💳 Stripe & Paradigm Launch AI Blockchain for Payments!
With OpenAI and Anthropic on board, Tempo is built for AI agents to handle money on their own.

🦆 DuckDuckGo Drops $9.99 AI Subscription With GPT-5 Inside!
They’re bundling premium models at half the price competitors charge.

🤖 DeepSeek Prepares to Drop a Cheaper OpenAI Rival!
By late 2025, its new AI agent could slash token costs by 4–8x while staying open source.