NYCEDC Unveils Fifth Cohort of the Founder Fellowship

Since Launching in 2022, the Program Has Supported Nearly 400 New York City-Based Entrepreneurs Across 243 Startups Raising Over $170 Million

Founder Fellowship Aims to Build a More Equitable Tech Ecosystem by Empowering Diverse Entrepreneurs and Expanding Access to Growth Opportunities

Four Program Operators Will Run Accelerator Program, Catalyzing Nearly $1 Million of Private Investment

NEW YORK, NY-New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) today announced the selection of 60 of New York City's most promising early-stage startups, representing 86 founders and co-founders from across the five boroughs, to participate in the fifth installment of the Founder Fellowship-New York City's flagship accelerator program designed to build a more equitable and inclusive tech startup ecosystem. Since its launch in 2022, the program has empowered diverse entrepreneurs and accelerated their business growth in New York City and beyond, by expanding access to industry connections, venture capital and grant funding, mentorship, business development, and other opportunities necessary to build and scale their innovative enterprises.

The program reflects the diversity and dynamism of New York City's entrepreneurial talent: approximately two-thirds of Fellow teams to date have at least one female founder, 77 percent have a Black, Latinx, and/or Asian founder, and 15 percent have at least one LGBT+ founder-underscoring the City's commitment to inclusive growth and opportunity in the innovation economy.

To date, the Founder Fellowship program has supported nearly 400 New York City-based founders and co-founders across nearly 250 tech startups, selected from more than 3,200 applications. Founder Fellowship alumni have gone on to raise $170 million in follow-on capital, with their companies achieving combined valuations of over $1 billion.

"Now in its fifth installment, the Founder Fellowship program has established a robust track record in opening doors for hundreds of diverse entrepreneurs to the resources, funding, and expertise needed to accelerate their businesses' growth in New York City and beyond," said NYCEDC Interim President & CEO Jeanny Pak. "With the program delivering one success story after another, NYCEDC is excited to welcome the Founder Fellowship's newest cohort and continue building a startup ecosystem with equitable opportunity that is reflective of the city's unmatched diversity of talent and innovation."

"We are energized by our 2026 Founder Fellowship cohort, a group of bold, grounded builders united by a commitment to solving real problems," said Chloe Capital Managing Director Elisa Miller-Out. "Their talent and drive reflect the mission and momentum of the Founder Fellowship, and we cannot wait to champion their growth in the months ahead."

"Company Ventures is excited to support the newest cohort of the (Boost) Founder Fellowship," said Company Ventures CEO and Managing Partner Matt Harrigan. "In partnership with NYCEDC, we focus on meeting founders early with the right mix of capital access, mentorship, and community. We're looking forward to working alongside this cohort as they build ambitious companies rooted in New York City."

"For the past five years, the Founder Fellowship has reflected what makes New York City such a compelling place to build companies in critical technology," said Brandon Corts, Vice President of Startups at Newlab. "We're excited to welcome the next cohort and continue strengthening a pipeline of founders who are choosing to scale their companies in New York City and compete globally from here."

"Year after year, we see proof that the most transformative founders aren't always found in the same rooms or the same zip codes," said Visible Hands Co-Founder and General Partner Justin Kang. "They're everywhere across this city, VHNYC and our continued partnership with NYCEDC is about making sure talent, not access, determines who gets to build. The companies coming out of this program are a testament to what's possible when you invest in people who've been historically overlooked, and that's what drives us to keep doing this work."

Building on the success of four prior cohorts in  2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, NYCEDC's continued investment in the Founder Fellowship is catalyzing nearly $1 million in capital commitments from its private sector partners, which will be invested across select startups in the 2026 program. View the full list of the 2026 Founder Fellows.

NYCEDC is partnering with four program operators to serve the 60 startups selected to this year's Founder Fellowship, each providing unique value and offerings to their respective cohorts of 15 founder teams:

• Chloe Capital, a venture capital firm investing with a gender and diversity lens in climate, health, and workforce innovations.
• Company Ventures, a NYC-based seed-stage venture firm offering a zero equity, mentor-led program designed to help founders fundraise more successfully.
• Newlab, a venture platform for critical technology startups transforming core industrial sectors.
• Visible Hands, a venture capital firm that holistically supports early-stage, underrepresented founders in building high-growth startups.

Founder Fellowship participants bolster New York City's legacy and innovation industries, including tech, healthcare and life sciences, the green economy, education and workforce development. Some recent achievements of alumni Founder Fellows include:

• Airpals joined the 2025 Global Cohort of Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures Labs and received an investment from Chloe Capital.
• Podium Automation raised a $5M seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz.
• Roots Access AI raised a $2.1M seed round led by AlleyCorp, including a $250K investment from previous program partner Gold House Ventures.

"As Chair of the City Council's Committee on Economic Development, my focus is on ensuring that New York City's growth is both dynamic and broadly shared. Programs like the Founder Fellowship are critical to that mission," said NYC Councilmember Virginia Maloney. "By expanding access to capital, mentorship, and networks for entrepreneurs who have historically been underrepresented in the tech ecosystem, we are strengthening the pipeline of homegrown businesses that create jobs and drive long-term economic opportunity across the five boroughs. When we invest in inclusive entrepreneurship, we are investing in a more resilient and competitive New York City."

"The Founder Fellowship is transformative for the entrepreneurs who take part in it. Building a company in New York City takes more than a great idea - it requires access, mentorship, guidance, and a community that believes in your vision," said NYC Council Member Amanda Farías, Chair of the Committee on Women and Gender Equity. "This program provides founders with the tools, connections, and confidence to move from concept to meaningful growth. For many participants-particularly Black, Latino, AAPI, women, LGBTQ+, and first-generation founders-this fellowship is the difference between navigating a competitive startup ecosystem alone and having structured support designed to help them succeed. In an environment that can sometimes feel driven by 'who you know,' programs like this help ensure that access to opportunity is expanded and more founders have a fair chance to build and scale."

"Programs like the Founder Fellowship show what's possible when we invest early and intentionally in New York City's entrepreneurs," said NYC Council Member Julie Won. "By expanding access to capital, mentorship, and networks, NYCEDC helps fellows from all boroughs turn ideas into reality by bringing to life businesses that focus on job creation, strengthen our local economy, and ensure the innovation ecosystem reflects the full diversity of the city."

"New York City's startup ecosystem is strongest when it reflects the full breadth of talent across our five boroughs," said Julie Samuels, President & CEO of Tech:NYC. "The Founder Fellowship continues to prove that when founders have equitable access to capital, mentorship, and networks, they build companies that create jobs, attract investment, and solve real-world challenges. Programs like this are essential to cementing New York City's position as a global leader in tech and innovation. We're proud to support NYCEDC and this newest cohort as they scale the kinds of ambitious companies that will define our city's economic future."

NYCEDC is doubling down on its commitment to founders: In October 2025, NYCEDC announced the Founder Alumni Program, which will provide ongoing resources, support, and community for graduates of NYCEDC entrepreneurship programs. The Founder Alumni Program will support City Fellowship, Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, Founder Fellowship, NYC Mass Timber Studio, Game Design Future Lab, Scale Ready Studio by Women.NYC, Offshore Wind Innovation Hub, Pilots at Brooklyn Army Terminal, Resilient Energy Studio, LifeSci NYC Expansion Fund and more.

New York City is ranked as the second largest tech and venture capital ecosystem in the world and is home to over 25,000 tech-enabled startups and 1,200 active venture capital firms. The city's tech ecosystem employs more than 360,000 people, having grown by over 30 percent in the last decade. However, in 2023, U.S. startups led solely by women founders received about two percent of venture funding in 2023, while startups led by Black and Latinx founders generally receive less than three percent of total funding raised. NYCEDC designed the Founder Fellowship to ensure entrepreneurs traditionally underrepresented among venture-backed startups can successfully build and grow their enterprises in NYC.

About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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