AIR (AI Residency)

What AIR (AI Residency) does

AIR (AI Residency) is a global startup residency program operated by Collaborative Fund Management LLC, a New York-based investment adviser. The program invests $50,000–$500,000 per company into teams building human-centered AI products, deploying capital through uncapped, no-discount MFN SAFE notes or at the same price as a qualifying round within 60 days. Portfolio founders retain 100% of their intellectual property, and Collaborative Fund provides follow-on syndication support across subsequent fundraises.

The core offering is the residency itself — a rolling-admissions program accepting solo founders, co-founding teams, and individual builders via a dedicated EIR (Entrepreneur-in-Residence) track. The program supplements capital with mentorship from named operators at RunwayML, Meta GenAI, Highlight, Little Plains, Twohy Design Works, and Quiet Capital, plus a recruiting layer that helps portfolio teams hire design engineers. AIR's distribution and brand are built around a recurring event calendar (Study Hall, Sunroom Gatherings, Golden Hour, AI & Culture Retreat, an annual AI & Design Summit in NYC) and co-marketing partnerships with CRV, Accel, Daybreak Ventures, Asylum Ventures, Designer Fund, BCV, and Figma Ventures.

Economically, AIR does not generate traditional product revenue; its return mechanism is venture equity in a portfolio that, as of the data window, comprises 16 named companies spanning consumer AI, robotics, entertainment, creative tools and testing, with Spec disclosed as an acquired exit. The program sits inside Collaborative Fund's operational infrastructure at 347 Bowery, 2nd Floor, New York, with no separately disclosed fund size, AUM, or carry economics. Customer concentration risk is therefore defined by portfolio diversification rather than by paying-customer concentration.

Name

AIR (AI Residency)

Legal name

Collaborative Fund Management LLC

Website

https://air.collabfund.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AIR (AI Residency) is a New York-headquartered, Collaborative Fund-backed global startup residency that invests $50K–$500K via MFN SAFEs in early-stage teams building human-centered AI products, offering mentorship, design-engineer hiring support, and a multi-city event program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Returns: AIR generates returns through equity investments in startup companies. They invest $50-500K per company using uncapped, no-discount MFN SAFE notes or at the same price as a round within the last 60 days. Collaborative Fund provides follow-on syndication support throughout portfolio companies' fundraising journeys.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AIR is a global startup residency that invests $50,000–$500,000 per company (via uncapped, no-discount MFN SAFE notes or at the price of a round within the last 60 days) into early-stage teams building human-centered, design-led consumer AI products. The residency layers equity capital with mentorship from AI and design leaders, community programming (Study Hall, Sunroom Gatherings, AI & Design Summit), design-engineer hiring support, and follow-on syndication through Collaborative Fund. Founders retain 100% of their intellectual property.

Product overview

AIR (AI Residency) is a global startup residency program backed by Collaborative Fund that invests $50K–$500K in teams building human-centered AI products. The core offering is the AIR Residency Program, which is supplemented by a Mentorship Program connecting founders with industry leaders, an Events & Community platform for networking, and an EIR Track for individual builders. The program operates with rolling admissions and focuses on design engineering talent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AIR Residency Program A global startup residency that invests $50,000–$500,000 per company (via uncapped, no-discount MFN SAFE notes or at the price of a round within the last 60 days) into early-stage teams building human-centered, design-led consumer AI products. Includes mentorship, community events, the annual AI & Design Summit in NYC, design-engineer hiring support, and rolling admissions. Portfolio companies retain 100% intellectual property ownership and may receive follow-on syndication from Collaborative Fund.
• EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) Track An application track within AIR for exceptional individual builders who are still developing their ideas, in addition to companies from formation through later-stage teams. Provides residency access, mentorship, and community programming for solo founders without a fully formed company.

Named customers16 records

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 indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Techstars: Global accelerator network offering mentorship-driven programs to early-stage founders. Comparable in structure (mentorship, community events, follow-on support) but operates industry-specific cohorts rather than AIR's AI/design thesis.
• Designer Fund: Design-focused venture platform investing in companies where design is a strategic advantage. Comparable through its design-thesis investing and explicit partnerships with AIR on community events.
• Antler: Global residency program that invests in founders 'from day zero,' with rolling admissions and presence across multiple continents. Directly mirrors AIR's residency structure and global multi-city model.
• South Park Commons: Community-first residency program for early-stage technical founders, with locations in SF, NYC, and beyond. Comparable through its residency/community model, founder-centric support, and multi-city presence.
• Y Combinator: Largest and most recognized global startup accelerator. Directly comparable to AIR as a seed-stage program investing in early teams with mentorship, community, and follow-on support, though at much larger scale and broader industry focus.
• HF0: San Francisco-based AI-focused residency for technical founders building AI products. Directly comparable to AIR's AI-product focus, residency model, and San Francisco presence.
• Betaworks: NYC-based startup studio and seed fund historically focused on design-forward, consumer-facing tech products (and now AI). Closely comparable to AIR's NYC base, design-led thesis, and consumer-AI investment focus.
• Pioneer: Y Combinator-affiliated app for solo founders and EIRs building prototypes. Comparable to AIR's EIR track and its emphasis on supporting individual builders before team formation.

Broad incumbents

• Collaborative Fund: Parent entity and primary capital provider for AIR. Operates as a broader venture firm with thesis-driven investing; comparable as the backer of AIR's accelerator model and follow-on capital pathway.
• Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): Large, established venture firm with broad AI investments and active founder-support programs. Overlaps with AIR's AI investment thesis at much larger scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/airesidency
• Instagraminstagram.com/ai_residency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about AIR (AI Residency)