Meet other founders. Build great things.
Working on a startup already? Apply to ODX →
In the past 2 years, we've helped 2,500+ founders explore and accelerate what's next
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On Deck helped us hire our first employee, raise $900k in pre-seed, and accelerate our GTM motion within the network. Our Series B wouldn’t have happened without On Deck.
On Deck helped me recruit our team, find our first beta customers, and build a community of support to get through the challenges of the founder to CEO transition.
On Deck helped me get conviction on one of the four ideas I had when I joined. Those same fellows became our most valuable early users.
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The On Deck Community helped me make 5+ key early hires, and raise a $12 million seed round from great investors.
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Start or build a company
The process
Start or build a company and leverage the On Deck community to go from "curious" to "cofounder".
If you decide not to start a company, let us know and we'll help you figure out your next step.
Apply Now
Apply to the program
We review applications on a rolling basis. The next kickoff is September 13.
Experience our signature onboarding
Get access to the On Deck network and form meaningful connections with hundreds of curated builders from day 1.
Weekly programming
Learn best practices, frameworks, and tactical skills with expert-led fireside chats and hands-on workshops.
Leverage the community
Build deep relationships through virtual and IRL networking events and masterminds. Leverage the community to help you on your founder journey.
Exploration (for up to 12 months)
Our year-long programming will help you explore markets, validate ideas, find a co-founder, build your MVP, and help you get ready to raise.
Draw up to $25,000 to cover living expenses
If you need to cover living expenses while you explore, you can draw up to $25,000 from our Access Initiative via ODF Advance. If you build conviction to start a company, the $25,000 converts to 1.4% equity, and we'll invest another $125,000 via ODX. If you don't, we only ask you to pay it forward to the next founder by contributing back to the Access Initiative.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Meet your community
Build relationships with other founders who share a strong spirit of service through IRL and virtual talks, co-working days and socials.
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FIND AN IDEA worth building
Find and validate ideas
Navigate the idea maze through market explorations led by top investors and industry experts and use the Slack community to get help and ask questions as you dive deeper into a particular problem space.
Then validate your idea by presenting to the community at Memo Day.
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Shared interests:
Metabolic Health
Sleep
Wearables
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Shared interests:
Creator Economy
Tools
Culture
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Shared interests:
Sustainable Fashion
Community
Shared interests:
Remote work
Marketplaces
Freelancers
FIND the right partners
Find a cofounder or a team
Find the right partner through Cofounder Sprint. Meet founding team members and collaborators through the community, curated 1:1 introductions, and virtual and IRL social and networking events.
100+ CO-FOUNDERS Met through ON deck
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BUILD YOUR MVP and raise
Build your next idea and get ready to raise
Build alongside founders in your space and learn tactical skills that are immediately applicable through hands-on workshops. Get traction by leveraging the community for feedback, customer intros, and early adopters.
Talk to angels and investors through Investor Index, perfect your pitch with fundraising bootcamp, present to the community at Pitch Day, and apply for access to Deal Drop to raise your next round.
Investor Index
If you’re ready to build, we’re ready to back you
We believe in you and your ideas. When you join ODF, we commit to this handshake deal: if you start a company within the next year, you'll join ODX, and we'll invest on our standard terms of $125,000 for 7%.
Access our playbooks right now
We invested hundreds of hours to co-develop On Deck playbooks with industry experts.
Problem validation
Validate ideas & markets with Asher King Abramson
Build a founding team
Hire your early team with Keith Rabois
Apply to ODF
FAQ
ODF is for people at the earliest stages of their founder journey. All you need to join is a special skill or insight, and the desire to build a venture-scale business. If you have an idea or a cofounder already, that’s great — ODF can help you with traction, product, and more.
ODF is for people who are exploring the possibility of starting a company, but are unsure if that’s actually what they want to do. As a member of ODF, you have an All Access Pass to the On Deck network. What you choose to take advantage of is up to you. If you’re looking for a cofounder, our cofounder matching service will help you find the right people. If you want to explore and validate ideas, you can tap into world-leading experts via our Sector Networks. If you want to tighten up your founder skills, you can attend workshops and talks multiple times per week. When you join, you’ll go through orientation and your community manager will help you navigate the many resources available.
When you join ODF, you get 12 months to use your All Access Pass to the On Deck network. After your time in ODF is up, you become a lifelong member of our alumni community.
How much time you invest in ODF is largely up to you. For your first month, we recommend spending at least 4 hours per week attending onboarding sessions and getting to know your cohort. After that, ODF is flexible. Some weeks you may want to spend 20 hours taking calls with fellows or attending sessions. Other weeks you may choose not to do anything. Many ODF fellows are working around families and jobs, and we fully support and respect these commitments.
Yearly membership for ODF is $2,990.
Because we recruit founders from all over the world, ODF is fully virtual. However, we have thriving alumni communities in many major metros, and will host periodic in-person events for founders to meet each other in person.
Absolutely! We believe that talent is distributed evenly around the world, and a big part our mission for ODF is to elevate and support founders outside of Silicon Valley. We accept applicants from anywhere in the world.
If you’re not yet ready to work full-time on your startup, you should apply for ODF (even if your company is already incorporated).
Participation is held in strict confidence. Even if you’re happy to share, you are requested to respect the privacy of other members who aren’t ready to make their plans public.
Rolling admissions means that you can apply to ODF anytime. There is no cutoff date, and if accepted, you will join the upcoming cohort. New ones kick off quarterly.
On Deck lives by four core guiding values, crucial to the culture we strive to foster in the community: Service, Confidentiality, Gratitude, Family.