Up to $150,000 Investment
Selected companies receive capital to build and scale.
01Program Highlights
The platform behind the Top 50.
The 2026 cohort now has the capital, infrastructure, and founder network to move from early conviction to global scale.
10 Week Remote Program
The Top 50 build together from anywhere in the world.
02Global Mentors
Cohort founders learn from operators and investors.
03Exclusive Founder Community
Build alongside the selected AI Launchpad founders.
04Partner Perks
Each cohort company unlocks credits worth over $250,000.
05Demo Day
The cohort presents to leading investors and partners.
06About the Program
What is AI Launchpad?
AI Launchpad is Day Zero Fund's global, remote-first program for exceptional founders building category-defining AI companies.
The 2026 Top 50 have now been selected. We back them at the earliest stage with capital, mentorship, technical resources, and access to a fast-growing startup ecosystem.
The next cohort begins in January 2027, continuing our focus across AI infrastructure, healthcare, developer tools, enterprise software, robotics, and automation.
01
Capital to build
Early conviction and up to $150,000 to focus on the work that matters.
02
Technical leverage
Infrastructure, product feedback, and partner benefits for AI-native teams.
03
A durable network
Founders, operators, investors, and mentors who stay close beyond Demo Day.
Founder-First Capital
Funding from Day Zero Fund
The capital to focus, validate, and build with conviction.
Up to
$150,000
Investment
Pre-Seed
SAFE Investment
Global
Founder Friendly
No unnecessary dilution
Founder Profile
Who We Back
The Top 50 reflect the founder profiles we believe can define new categories.
Investment Thesis
Focus Areas
We back AI-native companies transforming the systems people rely on.
01
Artificial Intelligence
Building frontier AI applications and infrastructure.
02
HealthTech
AI transforming healthcare and life sciences.
03
BioTech
Machine learning powering biological innovation.
04
Automation
AI systems improving business productivity.
Program Platform
What Founders Receive
The highest-leverage support for the decisions that define your early company.
Next cohort begins January 2027Investment
Founder Mentorship
Weekly Office Hours
Technical Reviews
Product Strategy
Fundraising Support
Investor Introductions
Hiring Support
Go-to-Market Guidance
Demo Day
Founder Community
Partner Benefits
Partner Benefits
Over $250,000+ in Startup Benefits
Every AI Launchpad company receives access to exclusive partner programs from leading technology companies.
OpenAI
AWS Activate
Google Cloud
Microsoft for Startups
Anthropic
Notion
HubSpot
DigitalOcean
Retool
PostHog
Mercury
Brex
NVIDIA Inception
Clerk
Vercel
SupabaseAdditional partner benefits continue to grow throughout the year.
Next Cohort · January 2027
The next journey starts in January.
The 2026 Top 50 are selected. The next AI Launchpad cohort begins in January 2027 and follows the same focused path from founder selection to Demo Day.
- 01January 2027 Cohort Opens
- 02Founder Interviews
- 03Investment Committee
- 04Top 50 Selection
- 0510 Week Program
- 06Demo Day
The Ten Weeks
Program Schedule
Founder Kickoff
Product Strategy
AI Infrastructure
Customer Discovery
Growth
Hiring
Fundraising
Scaling
Pitch Preparation
Demo Day
AI Launchpad 2026 · Top 50
Meet the selected companies.
Eight featured companies from the selected 2026 cohort. More cohort profiles will be added as they are announced.
Observl
AI-native observability for monitoring production, detecting issues, and understanding problems faster.
SandBox
Secure sandboxes and real-device environments for building and testing applications.
LendOps
AI-powered back-office automation for commercial lending operations.
ScanCore
AI-assisted 3D ultrasound with real-time scanning support and image analysis.
MemoryOS
AI-powered company memory built from conversations, workflows, and employee knowledge.
MemoPod
A dedicated AI meeting device for notes, action items, and important follow-ups.
Jurisim
An AI operating system for legal research, drafting, knowledge, and firm workflows.
VectorDrig
AI intelligence for drone navigation, perception, mission planning, and decisions.
Has the 2026 cohort been selected?
Yes. Day Zero Fund has selected the 50 startups joining the 2026 AI Launchpad cohort.
How much do you invest?
Day Zero Fund invests up to $150,000 in selected companies, typically through a founder-friendly SAFE investment.
Is the program remote?
Yes. AI Launchpad is a global, remote-first ten-week program designed so exceptional founders can join from anywhere.
When is the next cohort?
The next AI Launchpad cohort begins in January 2027. Additional program and selection details will be announced closer to the cohort.
Do you only invest in AI?
AI is our core focus, including AI-enabled companies across HealthTech, BioTech, developer tools, enterprise software, robotics, and automation.
What types of founders do you back?
We back technical, repeat, student, research, solo, and global founders showing exceptional insight, velocity, and ambition.
What happens after Demo Day?
You remain part of the Day Zero founder community with continued access to our network, partner benefits, fundraising support, and long-term portfolio platform.