Expert Dojo
Expert Dojo is a Santa Monica-based venture capital firm and startup accelerator running an equity-backed Investment Program ($50K-$100K for 3.5%-7%) and a no-equity Growth Program for early-stage founders globally. It has backed 266+ startups across 35+ countries and manages a $100M fund with a $15M India allocation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSanta Monica, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Expert Dojo does
Expert Dojo is a privately held venture capital firm and startup accelerator headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 2014, the firm runs two structured programs: an Investment Program that deploys $50,000-$100,000 for a 3.5%-7% equity stake alongside mentorship, Monday Accountability Sessions, monthly masterminds, weekly expert training, quarterly Demo Days, and potential $1M follow-on investment; and a no-equity Growth Program that funnels top performers into the Investment Program. The firm also operates the Expert Dojo Academy, an educational platform powered by ICARUS AI. Expert Dojo has invested in 266+ startups across 35+ countries spanning FinTech, HealthTech, e-commerce, entertainment, AI, and enterprise software, with 42% of investments in female-founded or -led companies versus an 18.8% industry benchmark, and a co-investor network of 640+ global firms.
The business model relies on standard venture economics: management fees on committed capital plus carried interest from portfolio exits, augmented by an equity-for-services accelerator offering. Distribution is primarily direct via website applications, supplemented by Demo Days, content marketing, podcast appearances, and regional cohort structures. Expert Dojo announced a $100 million fund in 2024-2025 with a dedicated $15 million India allocation and a Venture Partner hire focused on Africa, indicating a shift from a primarily US-centric accelerator to a globally distributed pre-seed/seed investor. No proprietary technology product is developed; the firm's intellectual property sits in deal flow, brand, and the founder community rather than software assets, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.
Expert Dojo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Expert Dojo
- Legal name
- Expert Dojo
- Website
- https://expertdojo.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Expert Dojo is a Santa Monica-based venture capital firm and startup accelerator running an equity-backed Investment Program ($50K-$100K for 3.5%-7%) and a no-equity Growth Program for early-stage founders globally. It has backed 266+ startups across 35+ countries and manages a $100M fund with a $15M India allocation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Expert Dojo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Accelerator & Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Marketing Consulting Services (541613)
- SIC
- Investors, Nec (6799), Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
Keywords
Where Expert Dojo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Monica
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Expert Dojo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Investment Returns: Expert Dojo generates returns through equity investments in early-stage startups. They invest $50K-$100K in exchange for 3.5%-7% equity stakes, with potential for $1M follow-on investments. Returns are realized through portfolio company exits, IPOs, or secondary sales.
- Management Fees and Carry: As a VC fund, Expert Dojo likely charges management fees on committed capital and takes carry (performance fees) on successful exits from the fund.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Investment Program: $50K-$100K for 3.5%-7% equity |
| Freemium | Monthly | Growth Program: No investment required |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Expert Dojo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Expert Dojo is an international startup accelerator and early-stage venture capital fund that invests $50,000–$100,000 in pre-seed and seed stage startups for a 3.5%–7% equity stake, paired with structured growth programming including Monday Accountability Sessions, Monthly Mastermind sessions, weekly expert training videos, warm VC introductions, quarterly Demo Days, and potential $1 million follow-on investment. It also operates a non-dilutive Growth Program with monthly training videos, AMA sessions, perks, and event access, and runs the Expert Dojo Academy for founder education.
Product overview
Expert Dojo operates as a venture capital firm and startup accelerator offering two main programs: the Investment Program (providing $50K-$100K for 3.5%-7% equity with mentorship, accountability sessions, masterclasses, demo days, and up to $1M follow-on investment potential) and the Growth Program (a scaling-focused program with monthly training, AMA sessions, and potential pathway to Investment Program, requiring no equity). The firm also runs the Expert Dojo Academy for educational content delivery. Expert Dojo has invested in 266+ startups across sectors including AI, FinTech, HealthTech, E-Commerce, CleanTech, EdTech, EnterpriseTech, and more, managing a $100 million fund with $15 million dedicated to India-focused investments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Investment Program Equity-based accelerator program for pre-seed and seed stage startups offering capital investment, structured mentorship, accountability sessions, masterclasses, demo days, and potential follow-on funding to help startups reach Series A.
- Growth Program Non-dilutive scaling program for startups not taking investment, providing training content, expert AMAs, perks, event access, and a conditional pathway into the Investment Program.
- Expert Dojo Academy Online educational platform delivering courses and training content for startup founders, powered by ENKI Technologies and ICARUS AI.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300% average valuation growth across all portfolios over 6 years
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Expert Dojo
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Expert Dojo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Expert Dojo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Expert Dojo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MassChallenge: MassChallenge runs equity-free and equity-based accelerator programs globally with a focus on impact and diverse founders—comparable to Expert Dojo's diversity thesis and cohort-based model.
- Antler: Antler is a global early-stage VC and accelerator with presence across 30+ countries and a cohort-based program that invests in pre-seed and seed startups—comparable in global geographic model and accelerator structure.
- Techstars: Techstars runs one of the world's largest global accelerator networks with multiple cohort-based programs offering mentorship, demo days, and seed capital in exchange for equity—directly comparable to Expert Dojo's Investment Program model.
- Founders Factory: Founders Factory is a global venture studio and accelerator that combines capital, mentorship, and corporate partnerships to scale early-stage startups—comparable in accelerator-plus-corporate-partnership model.
- Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play operates a global accelerator platform with corporate partnerships (Visa, American Express, etc.) that mirrors Expert Dojo's corporate partner network approach and vertical-specific cohort model.
- Seedstars: Seedstars is a Geneva-based VC and accelerator focused on emerging markets, particularly Africa, Asia, and LatAm—directly comparable to Expert Dojo's emerging-market expansion into India and Africa.
- 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups): 500 Global is a venture firm and accelerator running seed programs across multiple geographies, particularly in emerging markets—directly comparable to Expert Dojo's emerging market expansion strategy into India, Africa, and LatAm.
Broad incumbents
- Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the largest and most prestigious pre-seed/seed accelerator, offering standard deals ($500K for 7%) to early-stage startups globally. It is the benchmark competitor against which Expert Dojo's accelerator offering is measured.
- SOSV: SOSV runs multiple vertical-specific accelerator programs (HAX, IndieBio, HYPE) with global cohorts—a broad incumbent comparable to Expert Dojo in accelerator operating model, though with deeper vertical specialization.
Emerging players
- Station F: Station F is the world's largest startup campus in Paris, hosting accelerator programs and providing infrastructure for early-stage companies globally—comparable as an accelerator platform with global founder reach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Expert Dojo social profiles
Digital presenceExpert Dojo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Expert Dojo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Expert Dojo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Expert Dojo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments343 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Expert Dojo
What does Expert Dojo do?
Expert Dojo is an international startup accelerator and early-stage venture capital fund that invests $50,000–$100,000 in pre-seed and seed stage startups for a 3.5%–7% equity stake, paired with structured growth programming including Monday Accountability Sessions, Monthly Mastermind sessions, weekly expert training videos, warm VC introductions, quarterly Demo Days, and potential $1 million follow-on investment. It also operates a non-dilutive Growth Program with monthly training videos, AMA sessions, perks, and event access, and runs the Expert Dojo Academy for founder education.
Is Expert Dojo a public or private company?
Expert Dojo is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Expert Dojo founded?
Expert Dojo was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Expert Dojo based?
Expert Dojo is headquartered in Santa Monica, United States, in the North America region.
How does Expert Dojo make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Investment Returns are the primary driver. The others are management Fees and Carry.
Who are Expert Dojo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MassChallenge, Antler, Techstars, Founders Factory, Plug and Play Tech Center, Seedstars and 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups). Broad incumbents are Y Combinator and SOSV. Station F is listed as an emerging player.
Does Expert Dojo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Expert Dojo.
What industry is Expert Dojo in?
Expert Dojo's product category is Startup Accelerator & Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated). Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6799.