"The program used to focus on gaming startups, then expanded into entertainment and media, and is now a "horizontal program," Joshua Lu, the program's general manager and a partner at a16z, told TechCrunch. Today, founders of any type of startup can apply, and the program runs for about 12 weeks in San Francisco. It once had a program in Los Angeles, but Lu said the focus will be on SF from now on."
"The program invests up to $1 million into each company, though the downside is that it's a bit pricey. It typically invests $500,000 up front in exchange for 10% of the startup's company via a SAFE note, and another $500,000 if the next round is raised within 18 months, at whatever terms agreed to by the other investors. In comparison, Y Combinator typically takes 7% of the company for $500,000."
"Speedrun said its program is more "equity expensive" because of what it offers founders. It provides them with access to a16z's advisory and business networks that assist with tasks like go-to-market, brand development, media strategy, and talent sourcing. Plus it offers the startups perks like $5 million in credits to vendors such as AWS, OpenAI, Nvidia, and Deel."
Andreessen Horowitz's Speedrun accelerator launched in 2023 with an acceptance rate under 1% and received over 19,000 pitches for a cohort acceptance under 0.4%. The program evolved from gaming into entertainment and now operates as a horizontal program open to all startup types. It runs two roughly 12-week cohorts yearly in San Francisco and accepts about 50–70 startups per cohort. Speedrun offers up to $1 million per company via a $500,000 upfront SAFE for 10% and an additional $500,000 tied to a later round. The program provides a16z advisory networks, go-to-market and media support, talent sourcing, and vendor credits up to $5 million.
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