What HF0 Residency does

HF0 Residency is a private San Francisco-based startup accelerator that operates a three-month residency program exclusively for repeat founders—entrepreneurs who have previously built and exited companies. The program admits only 10 teams per batch and runs twice yearly, with batch starts in September and January and Demo Days held in December and June. The accelerator provides mentorship from experienced operators, investor introductions, co-working space, and a curated peer cohort under its 'Subtraction' thesis, which emphasizes simplifying the founder's approach to building a company. The program targets experienced operators rather than first-time entrepreneurs and has historically attracted multiple repeat unicorn and decacorn founders into single batches.

HF0 generates returns by taking equity stakes in the startups it admits, providing capital, mentorship, and investor network access in exchange; specific equity terms and initial capital amounts are not publicly disclosed. The accelerator has increasingly participated as a co-investor in subsequent funding rounds raised by portfolio companies, with documented investments spanning AI infrastructure (Hamilton AI, Gency AI), manufacturing automation (Tenkara), AI-powered digital avatars (AvatarOS), atmospheric water generation (Aquaria), and consumer wellness (Manifest). Portfolio performance metrics have strengthened batch-over-batch since the program's 2021 founding: the Spring 2025 cohort achieved an average post-Demo Day valuation of $82M with the top team exceeding $20M in annualized revenue, while 4 out of 10 teams have consistently surpassed $2M–$3M in revenue by Demo Day across recent batches.

The firm is led by three General Partners—Dave Fontenot (CEO), Emily Liu (COO), and Evan Stites Clayton (CTO)—supported by a CFO, a Head of Investor Relations, and functional directors covering program, operations, admissions, and creative functions. HF0's go-to-market is community-led and word-of-mouth driven, relying on referrals from alumni founders and earned media coverage including a NY Times feature positioning the program as a leading AI startup accelerator. No disclosed revenue, fund size, or AUM figures are available in public sources.

Name

HF0 Residency

Legal name

HF0

Website

https://hf0.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

HF0 Residency is a private San Francisco-based startup accelerator that runs a three-month residency exclusively for repeat founders, admitting 10 teams per batch twice yearly and generating returns through equity stakes in AI-focused portfolio companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)

Keywords

• Startup accelerator program
• Venture capital investment
• Founder mentorship residency
• Seed funding programs
• Demo day showcases

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Equity-based returns: HF0 operates as a startup accelerator that invests in early-stage companies in exchange for equity. The program provides funding, mentorship, and investor networking to selected founders, generating returns through equity appreciation in portfolio companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HF0 Residency runs an intensive 3-month startup accelerator residency exclusively for repeat founders, admitting only 10 teams per batch twice yearly (September and January cohort starts, with Demo Days in December and June). Selected startups receive capital, mentorship from experienced operators, co-working space in San Francisco, peer community access, and a structured Demo Day presentation to investors, in exchange for equity stakes. The program operates on a 'Subtraction' thesis focused on helping founders simplify and concentrate their ventures.

Product overview

HF0 Residency is a single core offering — an intensive accelerator program for repeat founders — rather than a multi-product portfolio. The residency provides structured mentorship, investor network access, and peer collaboration within a cohort of 10 selected teams per batch. Batch cycles run with starts in January and September, culminating in Demo Days in June and December. The program thesis is based on 'Subtraction,' focusing on helping founders simplify and focus their ventures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HF0 Residency Program A 3-month intensive startup accelerator residency exclusively for repeat founders. The program admits only 10 startup teams per batch (twice yearly, with cohort starts in September and January and Demo Days in December and June), providing capital, mentorship from experienced operators, co-working space in San Francisco, peer community, and structured investor exposure through Demo Day. Selected teams provide equity in return for program benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average post-Demo Day valuation of $82M across portfolio companies
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Founders Factory: Founders Factory is a global venture studio and accelerator that builds and invests in early-stage startups, with a focus on repeat operators and experienced founders. It is comparable to HF0 in its selective, operator-led approach to company creation.
• ERA (Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator): ERA is a New York-based accelerator running cohort programs for early-stage startups. It is comparable to HF0 as a traditional accelerator offering mentorship, capital, and Demo Day support, though less focused on the repeat-founder thesis.
• Techstars: Techstars operates one of the world's largest accelerator networks with multiple programs annually. It directly competes with HF0 for early-stage AI startups and offers similar mentorship, capital, and Demo Day structures, though typically with larger cohorts.
• Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the largest and most recognized startup accelerator globally, running biannual batches with hundreds of companies. It is the most direct competitor to HF0 in the AI-focused accelerator space, though with a far larger cohort and broader stage focus.
• South Park Commons: South Park Commons is a community and fellowship program explicitly built for repeat founders and technical talent exploring new ventures. Like HF0, it targets founders who have already had success, making it one of the closest comparables in thesis and target persona.
• Entrepreneur First: Entrepreneur First is a global accelerator that helps individuals (often technical or repeat founders) co-found companies from scratch. Its selective cohort model and founder-first thesis closely mirror HF0's approach to identifying and backing exceptional talent.
• Antler: Antler is a global early-stage investor and accelerator running cohort programs in dozens of cities. While broader than HF0 in geographic reach and stage, it competes for repeat founder talent and offers comparable residency-style support and pre-seed capital.

Emerging players

• Lux Capital Scout Program: Lux Capital runs a scout and founder program focused on deep-tech and frontier-tech founders, often repeat operators. While not a traditional accelerator, it competes for the same repeat-founder talent pool and offers early-stage capital and network access similar to HF0.

Broad incumbents

• Sequoia Arc: Sequoia Arc is the early-stage founder program from Sequoia Capital, offering mentorship and community to pre-seed and seed-stage founders. While broader and backed by a larger fund, it targets a similar founder profile to HF0 and competes for top repeat-founder talent.
• a16z Speedrun: a16z Speedrun is Andreessen Horowitz's accelerator for gaming and consumer startups. As a16z has been a co-investor with HF0 (e.g., Manifest), it is a broad incumbent in the same accelerator category with overlapping AI/consumer theses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HF0Residency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hf0

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments25 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HF0 Residency