In partnership with
TL;DR
A fresh batch of top accelerators now accepting applications, from pre-idea programs to structured seed-stage cohorts
Multiple equity-free grants and startup credits available, plus founder-friendly programs offering hands-on support
New pre-seed and seed rounds closing across AI, dev tools, legal tech, and advanced manufacturing
Strong Series A+ momentum in AI, biotech, aerospace, and enterprise software
Check out the active investors across Pre-seed to Series A — from $250K pre-seed checks up to $50M Series A/B rounds deploying capital right now
Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays
Over the next year, Roku predicts that 100% of the streaming audience will see ads. For growth marketers in 2026, CTV will remain an important “safe space” as AI creates widespread disruption in the search and social channels. Plus, easier access to self-serve CTV ad buying tools and targeting options will lead to a surge in locally-targeted streaming campaigns.
Read our guide to find out why growth marketers should make sure CTV is part of their 2026 media mix.
Accelerators + Grants
🚀 Accelerators
$500K for ~7% equity ($125K for 7% + $375K uncapped SAFE) with a 3-month curated program, weekly dinners, partner office hours, and lifelong alumni support for founders at early stages.
$125K for ~6–7% equity; focused on growth hacking, pitch perfection, fundraising strategy, and direct introductions to a broad investor network with hands-on support from Jason Calacanis's team.
$100K investment for equity; 12-week equity-based programs (various cohorts in US cities like Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis); hands-on mentorship, corporate connections, investor intros, and tailored support for high-growth tech startups across sectors.
Equity-free (zero equity taken + potential grants); hybrid programs in Boston/Dallas focused on high-impact sectors like healthcare, climate, and sustainable food; expert mentorship, corporate partnerships, curriculum for commercialization, and global network access.
Up to $175K pre-seed investment for equity; boutique, long-term accelerator (no fixed timeline or demo day) with deeply embedded operational support, product-market fit expertise, and fundraising guidance—ideal for early-stage startups building outside Silicon Valley.
Up to $250K–$500K investment for 10–12% (pre-seed funding post-program); residency-style program matching exceptional individuals with co-founders, idea validation to launch, deep mentorship, global network access, and investor intros—perfect for pre-idea or solo founders building ambitious tech companies.
💰 Grants
Typically $1,200–$35,000 in Vercel credits and access thousands more via partners, with total program pools exceeding $4M; no equity). Startup credits available through Vercel programs to help early-stage teams build and scale web and AI applications (e.g., via partnerships or the AI Accelerator; individual awards depend on selection and focus).
$1,000 non-dilutive grant (equity-free); separate Founder-in-Residence/pre-seed investments range $100,000–$2M and take equity. Early-stage founder support from Afore VC, focused on helping builders validate ideas and move from concept to early traction (the small grant includes mentorship; larger funding is via their residency or VC investments).
Equity-free grants $2,000–$40,000 (Inflection Grants: $2,000 for young builders; SHIFT/d/acc Micro Grants: $5,000–$15,000; Development Grants: $20,000–$40,000). For founders, creators, and technologists building ambitious, experimental, or community-driven projects (often d/acc-aligned in areas like biosecurity, cyber, neurotech); multiple tiers available.
Equity-free grants from $1,000–$500,000+ (project-specific; many awards $10,000–$50,000, no fixed "typical" range). Funding opportunities for early-stage founders and researchers working on high-impact ideas; supports startups, nonprofits, and independent projects.
Equity-free $200,000 grant (paid over 2 years). Fellowship for young founders (aged 22 or younger) to pursue bold, unconventional ideas instead of traditional education.
Roladex Venture Studio
Roladex provides hands-on support with fundraising, product development, and marketing—plus the team, network, and resources to launch and scale your business 👇
PreSeed + Seed
Notable companies that recently raised:
1️⃣ Empromptu — raised $2M (Pre-Seed)
Description: AI platform that enables enterprises to build custom AI applications using natural language prompts, featuring custom data models and infinite memory.
Investors: Precursor Ventures (Lead), Zeal Capital, Alumni Ventures, FoundersEdge, South Loop, Rogue Women VC, Edith Harbaugh
2️⃣ Opine — raised $5M (Seed)
Description: AI-powered workspace tailored for sales engineers and pre-sales teams, automating and streamlining demos, workflows, and collaboration.
Investors: S3 Ventures (Lead), Knoll Ventures, Atlanta Seed Company, Gray Ventures, Propel Ventures, Triangle Tweener Fund, Feross Aboukhadijeh
3️⃣ Soxton AI — raised $2.5M (Pre-Seed)
Description: AI-driven legal platform offering startups contract templates, custom creation, lawyer-reviewed documents, and support for incorporation, equity, and compliance.
Investors: Moxxie Ventures (Lead), Strobe, Coalition, Caterina Fake, Flex
4️⃣ Rotostitch — raised $1M (Pre-Seed)
Description: Manufacturing startup advancing automated textile manufacturing technologies with robotics and automation for the apparel industry.
Investors: Boost VC (Lead), Nova Threshold
💸 Active Investors & New Funds
1️⃣ Precursor Ventures — San Francisco, CA
$500K–$2M checks; classic pre-seed specialist backing founder-focused teams across sectors (no deeptech), very active with 30–40 investments/year. One of the most consistent early-stage firms in the Bay Area, recently closed Fund V at $66M in 2025 and leads pre-seed rounds for diverse, high-potential founders.
2️⃣ Everywhere Ventures — New York, NY
$250K–$500K checks; global pre-seed (strong US activity) with a founder-LP network of 500+ operators. Formerly The Fund, invests very early (often first money in) across consumer, fintech, health, and SaaS; highly active and community-driven.
3️⃣ Lombardstreet Ventures — Palo Alto, CA
$500K–$2M checks; pre-seed/seed in B2B software, fintech, and infrastructure, preferring Silicon Valley teams. Data-driven micro-VC with a tight focus on capital-efficient companies; consistently ranked among top active pre-seed players in 2025 lists.
4️⃣ Surface Ventures — New York, NY
$500K–$1.5M checks; leads pre-seed/seed in B2B infrastructure and vertical software at sub-$15M valuations. Emphasizes capital efficiency and invests across US/Canada/Europe/Israel; open and founder-friendly with strong 2025 deployment.
5️⃣ 2048 Ventures — New York, NY
$500K–$2M checks; pre-seed/seed focus on Vertical AI, deep tech, health, and bio. A thesis-driven fund led by experienced operators, 2048 targets high-conviction bets in AI, health tech, and biotech, offering hands-on support.
Series A+
Notable companies that recently raised:
1️⃣ Runware — raised $50M (Series A)
Description: Developer tools platform providing ultra-low latency APIs for real-time generative AI, specializing in fast image, video, and audio creation.
Investors: Dawn Capital (Lead), Comcast Ventures, Speedinvest, Insight Partners, a16z Speedrun
2️⃣ Serval — raised $75M (Series B)
Description: AI-powered automation platform for IT support, using generative agents to resolve tickets and extend into HR, legal, and finance workflows.
Investors: Sequoia (Lead), Redpoint, Meritech, First Round, General Catalyst, Evantic, and others
3️⃣ Prolynx — raised $70M (Series A)
Description: Biotechnology company developing longer-lasting obesity and metabolic disease drugs with reduced dosing frequency using advanced delivery tech.
Investors: 5AM Ventures (Co-lead), OrbiMed (Co-lead), Monograph Capital
4️⃣ Yoodli — raised $40M (Series B)
Description: AI roleplay tool for communication training, simulating sales calls, interviews, and presentations with personalized real-time coaching.
Investors: WestBridge Capital (Lead), Neotribe, Madrona
5️⃣ AnySignal — raised $24M (Series A)
Description: Aerospace startup building advanced radio technologies and production for space and defense applications.
Investors: Upfront Ventures (Lead), BlueYard Capital, First In Ventures, and other strategic investors
💸 Active Investors & New Funds
1️⃣ Battery Ventures — Boston, MA
$10M–$50M checks; Series A/B leader in application software, infrastructure, consumer internet, and industrial tech, extremely active deploying from recent multi-billion funds in 2025. Global tech-focused firm with a long track record of backing category-defining companies, offering deep operational expertise and scaling support.
2️⃣ Upfront Ventures — Santa Monica, CA
$10M–$30M checks; Series A leader in enterprise software, consumer, and frontier tech (e.g., recent aerospace/defense leads), highly active in 2025. LA-based powerhouse with a founder-centric approach, offering strategic guidance and network access for US-based scaling startups.
3️⃣ Spark Capital — Boston, MA
$10M–$40M checks; Series A/B specialist in consumer, commerce, fintech, software, frontier, and media, consistently active across stages in 2025. Early and growth-stage firm backing creative thinkers building bold products, with offices supporting East Coast deal flow.
4️⃣ Drive Capital — Columbus, OH
$10M–$50M checks; Series A/B focus on tech, healthcare, and consumer outside coastal hubs, actively investing in Midwest founders building market-defining companies. Midwest-based firm bringing decades of experience to overlooked regions, providing relentless partnership for world-class scaling.
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter! Our goal is to continue providing founders with the insights and resources they need to succeed in today’s startup ecosystem. We hope you enjoy and catch us on the next one 😄
- Michael Marra, Founder & CEO of Entre
P.S. Upgrade to PRO to get access our investor database and gain access to $100k+ in deals/discounts, and more.
P.S.S If you’d like to partner on one of our upcoming newsletters or events, you can sign up to work with us here.