a16z speedrun2027 deadline, funding, equity and how to apply

a16z speedrun is the accelerator run by Andreessen Horowitz. It began in 2023 inside a16z games and has since widened to almost every sector, including AI, robotics, fintech, consumer, B2B and security. It runs two residencies a year in San Francisco, and recent cohorts have had 70 to 80 companies each. The standard deal is up to $1M. speedrun invests $500K for 10% upfront on a SAFE, then up to another $500K in the company's next qualifying round of at least $2M, if that round closes within 18 months. There is no board seat. speedrun asks for pro rata rights and an option pool for early hires, and the standard deal is generally not negotiated. What sets speedrun apart is the size of the check and the support around it. Companies get more than $10M in partner credits from over 200 partners, a talent network of more than 171,000 people, and introductions to customers through a group of 150+ C-suite founding members. The selection bar is very high. The official FAQ says fewer than 0.4% of applicants are accepted. According to a16z, six cohorts in, speedrun had backed over 250 companies with more than $300M invested. Companies a16z names as speedrun starts include FLORA, Hedra and Runware.

The residency runs about 12 weeks, full time and in person at a16z's San Francisco office in North Beach. SR008 runs February 1 to April 18, 2027, with Demo Day on April 13, 2027. The weeks combine work on the product with sessions on go to market, hiring and fundraising. Founders get customer introductions through SR Insiders, plus events like AI Faire, Tech Week, Launch Lab and Brand Lab. Credits worth more than $10M from 200+ partners become available once the investment is wired. The program ends with Demo Day, where companies pitch to investors ahead of their next round. The FAQ notes some flexibility: students or people with full time jobs may be in person about one day a week, and other arrangements can be discussed after applying.