The program
Eight weeks. One mentor each. One Demo Day.
A focused, in-person program in Santa Barbara. At the end of eight weeks you have something real, and the right people are in the room to take it further.
Timeline
How the eight weeks flow.
The backbone is the weekly 1:1 with your mentor. Around that sits a mid-program hackathon and a Demo Day at week eight.
01 · Week 1
Kickoff & mentor match
The cohort meets in person. Every startup is paired with one dedicated mentor for the full program: YC founders, exited operators, and alumni who have built and shipped.
02 · Weeks 1–8
Weekly 1:1 office hours
You meet with your mentor every week for the full eight weeks. Structured progress reviews, direct feedback, and intros when you need them.
03 · Week 4
Hackathon weekend
A mid-program weekend for the cohort plus a handful of outside UCSB builders. $1,000 in credits for the winner; $250 in credits for everyone who ships.
04 · Weeks 5–7
Build, measure, iterate
Double down on what is working. Target users, measure what matters, and shape the story you will tell on Demo Day.
05 · Week 8
Demo Day
Pitch to VCs, operators, and the UCSB founder network. Warm intros that actually go somewhere.
What you get
Everything you need to ship.
Included
Dedicated mentor
One mentor matched to your startup for the full program. Weekly 1:1 office hours, every week.
Included
Mentor network
Operators, founders, and VCs from Meta, NASA, YC, ByteDance, and more.
Included
Build credits
Cursor Pro, AI credits, and tooling discounts across the program.
Included
Hackathon credits
$1,000 in credits for the winner; $250 in credits for everyone who participates.
Included
Demo Day audience
Pre-seed and seed investors, UCSB operators, and the broader network.
Included
Continued access
Alumni keep access to the member directory, events, and intros after the program.
Selection
Who we pick.
We are lean on purpose. Six startups in the first cohort, each with a dedicated mentor. We pick builders.
- 01
You are current UCSB (undergrad, grad, faculty, or recent alum).
- 02
You are actively building: code shipped, users talking, something to show.
- 03
You can commit to weekly sessions and in-person events in Santa Barbara for eight weeks.
- 04
You will show up for your cohort. We pick builders who help other builders.
Ready to apply?
Applications for the next cohort open soon. If you’re building something real, we want to hear from you.