Village Global2027 deadline, funding, equity and how to apply
Pre-seed VC firm backed by Bezos, Gates, Zuckerberg and others. Its Velocity program invests up to $1M, accepts founders worldwide, and reviews applications on a rolling basis.
- Up to $1M
- Funding
- Not published
- Equity
- Not fixed
- Program length
- Rolling
- Applications
About Village Global
Village Global is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2017. It was started by a group that includes Ben Casnocha, Erik Torenberg, and Anne Dwane, with Reid Hoffman as chair. Its homepage lists backers including Reid Hoffman, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Dell, Anne Wojcicki, and Abby Johnson. The firm describes itself as a network of founders, luminary LPs, and operator angels from major tech companies.
It is not a classic batch accelerator. Village Global's original program, Network Catalyst, launched in 2018 with $150,000 for 7% equity and three months of programming. That has since been replaced by Velocity, which Village Global calls its program for pre-seed founders. Velocity invests up to $1 million per company, reviews applications on a rolling basis, and accepts founders from anywhere in the world. Pre-traction and pre-revenue companies can apply, and so can founders who have not yet formed a company.
Village Global can lead or join a round and typically does not take a board seat. Across pre-seed and seed, its typical check ranges from $500,000 to $3 million, and it says a deal usually takes 2 to 3 weeks from first intro to decision. AI founders in Velocity get perks including up to $350,000 in Azure credits, a $10,000 OpenAI credit package, and $1,500 in Anthropic API credits. Portfolio founders featured on its site include those of Applied Intuition, Etched, Sardine, and Anomalo.
What Village Global looks for
Village Global says it looks for "vision, grit, strong product or technical orientation, and an ability to recruit a team." Velocity is aimed at pre-seed founders, including teams that are pre-traction and pre-revenue. Founders with only an idea and no formal company are invited to get in touch. Village Global invests worldwide, so location is not a filter. The firm's featured founders lean technical, with companies in AI chips, autonomy software, fraud prevention, data quality, and security.
How the Village Global program works
Velocity combines a pre-seed investment with a peer group and network access rather than a fixed-length bootcamp. Founders join a curated Mastermind group with other founders at a similar stage. The main value is access to Village Global's network of founders, operators, and LPs for advice, hiring, customers, and later fundraising.
There is no in-person requirement, and Village Global says founders can join from anywhere in the world. Village Global can lead or participate in a round and typically does not take board seats. AI founders get credits from partners, including Azure credits of up to $350,000 valid for four years, a $10,000 OpenAI credit package, and $1,500 in Anthropic API credits.
There is no demo day listed on the Velocity page.
How to apply to Village Global
- 1Read the Velocity page at villageglobal.com/velocity to check fit. Pre-traction and pre-revenue founders are welcome.
- 2Submit the Velocity application through the Apply Now link. There is no deadline, since applications are rolling.
- 3Show vision, grit, a strong product or technical orientation, and an ability to recruit a team, which Village Global names as what it looks for.
- 4If you only have an idea and no company yet, Village Global says to reach out anyway.
- 5Expect a decision process of about 2 to 3 weeks from first intro to investment decision.
Startup perks after acceptance
Accelerator startups qualify for most startup credit programs. These are the ones founders claim first.
Notable Village Global alumni
Companies that went through or were backed by Village Global.
Village Global vs similar accelerators
| Program | Funding | Equity | Location | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Village Global | Up to $1M | Not published | San Francisco, CA | Rolling admissions |
| PearX | Up to $2M | ~7% | San Francisco Bay Area | Rolling admissions |
| a16z speedrun | Up to $1M | 10% | San Francisco, CA | November 1, 2026 (5 days left) |
| Sequoia Arc | Up to $1M | Negotiated per company | In person | Next deadline not announced yet |
| South Park Commons Founder Fellowship | $1M | 7% | San Francisco, New York City or Bangalore | Next deadline not announced yet |
| Neo Accelerator (Neo Residency) | $750K | ~5% | San Francisco, CA | Next deadline not announced yet |
Village Global FAQ
When is the Village Global application deadline?+
Village Global reviews applications on a rolling basis, so you can apply at any time.
How much does Village Global invest?+
Village Global's Velocity program invests up to $1 million per company. Across its pre-seed and seed investing, the firm lists a typical check size of $500,000 to $3 million. It can lead a round or join one led by another investor, depending on the round.
Does Village Global still run Network Catalyst?+
Its current pre-seed program is Velocity. Network Catalyst launched in 2018 and, according to TechCrunch, offered $150,000 for 7% equity with three months of programming. Village Global's site now points pre-seed founders to Velocity, which has rolling applications and no fixed cohort length.
Do I need to move to San Francisco?+
No. Village Global says founders can join from anywhere in the world and that it invests globally. The Velocity page does not list any in-person requirement. Founders join a curated Mastermind group with peers at a similar stage, and investment and network access work remotely.
Sources: villageglobal.com, villageglobal.com, villageglobal.com, techcrunch.com, en.wikipedia.org