We helpfrontier tech startupsreach product-market fit.

If you're a technical founder building something ambitious, you should apply. Don't overthink it.

We've backed teams across every stage and vertical – crypto, AI, fintech, stablecoins, and more. Pre-product, pre-revenue, mid-pivot, anything goes.

Some of our biggest successes applied before they had anything built. Others had already raised funding before Alliance. There's no perfect formula.

The only thing we care about: you want to build something big and your team can ship.

The application takes about 20 minutes. You'll get a response faster than any other accelerator.

If you're debating whether to apply, that's your answer. Just apply.

Historically, four types of founders have struggled at Alliance:

1. Founders optimizing for a short-term outcome or quick flip. Our founders are building for the long term – generational companies that will be remembered decades from now. If the idea of selling your startup tomorrow for $20 million sounds enticing, you're not operating on the same timeframe as Alliance.
   
   
2. Founders building a lifestyle business. Nothing wrong with that path, but Alliance is built for venture-scale outcomes and our pace reflects it.
   
   
3. Founders looking for funding alone. While we provide initial capital, we are NOT investors. Our value comes through mentorship and community. If you're just looking for a check, there are much better options out there.
   
   
4. Founders who crack under pressure. Alliance means check-ins every single week, hard feedback from mentors, building in public, and an extreme degree of accountability. The program is intense by design. You may need to fire your entire team, move countries, restart from scratch and pivot multiple times – not everyone has the stomach for it.

We're upfront about these failure modes so applicants can self-select out and avoid wasting their time.

If, however, reading this list made you even more excited, you're exactly the type of founder who should apply.

Yes. Some of our most successful startups applied before they had anything built – no MVP, no traction, no revenue. We care far more about the founder than the product.

Yes. We've always backed startups with varying degrees of crypto involvement – including fintechs, payment APIs, SaaS for crypto startups, AI products and more.

We view startups as existing along a spectrum within crypto. Some are deeply crypto-native, while others are less so. We don’t mind where you fall on that spectrum.

Our mission is to partner with the most exceptional founders in the world – regardless of the specific product you're building today.

We run 3 cohorts a year. For each cohort, there's both an “Early Admission” and a “Regular” deadline.

We strongly encourage teams to submit applications as early as possible, as it maximizes your chances of selection.

Since most teams apply close to the deadline, applying early gives us much more time to review your application.

ALL19, our next cohort, starts on January 11, 2027.

We make interview decisions within 1 week of receiving an application, all year round. Once you’re accepted, we start working with you right away.

The official cohort start dates are mainly for logistical purposes and have minimal impact on your actual acceleration experience.

Nothing, the program is entirely free.

We only require a $400k investment in your company (at unparalleled, founder-friendly terms). We've learned that our best performing teams actually do want us to have skin-in-the-game. And our investment further aligns us with your success.

Besides this, founders' only obligation is to ensure they have the time and energy to attend sessions and work with mentors. We expect full commitment during the program's 3 months.

Yes – we’ve supported many founders in navigating immigration and visa-related challenges as part of our program.

Admission to Alliance is recognized as strong evidence of “extraordinary ability,” which can be an important factor in visa applications such as the O-1.

We also work with experienced immigration attorneys and advisors, and can connect you to trusted legal resources. While final decisions rest with the relevant authorities, most Alliance founders who required visas have successfully secured them with support from our network.

Yes, we offer $400k in funding to all admitted startups.

Alliance invests at a $4M post-money valuation via SAFE with a 1:1 token side letter.

If you'd like to take advantage of Alliance's funding but your fundraise timeline doesn't match the next cohort, don't worry. We've often supported startups by funding them before they're accelerated.

Just submit your application as you normally would. We review applications all year long and will invite you to an early interview if your startup meets Alliance's criteria.

Yes, Alliance has in place over 90 deals for our founders.

These include credits at Anthropic, AWS, Google Cloud, Gemini, Notion, Mercury, OpenAI, Privy and many other key services.

You can expect these credits to save your startup hundreds of thousands of dollars for costs you'd incur regardless.

Once you’re accepted into the program, we immediately start the investment and KYC process. For most teams, this takes less than a week.

After paperwork is signed, KYC is completed, and payment details are verified, we wire funds. This typically takes 1 to 2 weeks and happens before the program starts.

The program relies on 4 core activities: lectures, 1:1 mentorship, weekly check-ins and Demo Day.

• Lectures: We run weekly sessions where successful founders from our community share their stories and learnings as crypto operators, followed by a Q&A.
  
  
• 1:1 Mentorship: Startups receive 1:1 mentorship from Alliance mentors. Discussions often revolve around product, go-to-market and fundraising. At times, mentors may also intro founders to experts within our network depending on the problem at hand.
  
  
• Weekly Check-ins: Founders share accomplishments and challenges with mentors every week to maintain accountability, momentum and gain insight on how to overcome potential blockers.
  
  
• Demo Day: 6 weeks into the program companies start working on their narrative and pitch. Then, on week 10, startups meet select angels and VCs at Demo Day – both in-person, at the Alliance HQ in NYC, and online – and graduate from the program.

Each startup in our latest cohort received an average of over 50 intro requests after Demo Day from crypto's most value-add angels or funds, such as Paradigm, Multicoin and Dragonfly. Most startups also receive significant interest from clients or potential partners.

The best people to answer this are founders who've done other programs before Alliance. Here's what they consistently tell us:

1. Cohorts are deliberately small (15-30 teams), which means mentors are truly hands-on. We get into the details of your product, your GTM, and your fundraise with you, everyday.
   
   
2. The peer support is something most founders say they didn't expect, but it ends up being one of the most valuable parts of Alliance.
   
   
3. And because we've been in the space since 2020, we're often one intro away from the exact customer, partner, or investor you need.

New York is the capital of money – and the best home base in the world for crypto and fintech startups.

If you're building AI infrastructure, the Bay Area is the right place to be. But if you're building around payments, stablecoins or trading, this is where your industry lives.

When our founders need a pilot customer, a banking partner or a lead investor, they're usually a short walk or subway ride away.

It's also home to the largest concentration of Alliance alumni – so the network you join here stays with you long after the program ends.

After you apply to the program, mentors will review your application within 1 week.

Our team will then invite ad hoc the most promising teams for an interview over Zoom. This will consist of a 10 minute fast-paced conversation with Alliance mentors (with guidelines shared before the interview).

Final decisions are then communicated over email within 24 to 48 hours.

Note that due to the sheer number of applications and interviews, mentors are unfortunately not able to give personalized feedback to teams that are not selected.