Investor + funding directory

Free incubator + cohort programs for veteran-owned businesses. National presence.

Check: $0k - $50k

How to reach: Find a local Bunker Labs chapter or apply to the online Launch Lab.

$500k for 7%. Most concentrated founder network in the world. Three-month batch in San Francisco.

Check: $500k - $500k

How to reach: Open application — YC reads everything. Re-apply each batch.

$100k over 2 years to skip or pause college and build. Under-23 only.

Check: $100k - $100k

How to reach: Apply once per year. Selective.

Student-run pre-seed fund. $20k for student-founded companies with a student on the team.

Check: $20k - $20k

How to reach: Submit via the website. Decisions in 4-6 weeks.

Profitable, sustainable SaaS — explicitly not unicorn-focused. Patient capital for capital-efficient founders.

Check: $50k - $500k

How to reach: Email tyler@calmfund.com after $5k MRR. Reference one or two of their portfolio cos.

Largest EdTech-only fund globally. Pre-K through workforce-learning.

Check: $1,000k - $50,000k

How to reach: Apply via the website or warm-intro through an Owl portfolio CEO.

Most flexible Small Business Administration loan. Up to $5M for working capital, equipment, real estate.

Check: $25k - $5,000k

How to reach: Apply through an SBA-approved lender. Plan for 60-90 days end-to-end.

Grants + small-business loans specifically for veteran entrepreneurs.

Check: $5k - $15k

How to reach: Apply during the annual award cycle.

Developer-tool, infrastructure, and open-source companies. Operator-led program.

Check: $500k - $5,000k

How to reach: Apply via heavybit.com — they read every application.

$10k-$50k checks from people who built or operated in your domain. Highest signal money at pre-seed.

Check: $5k - $50k

How to reach: Build a 5-name target list from LinkedIn + portfolio sites. Warm intros >> cold outreach.

$10k 1-week program for the world's most ambitious young founders.

Check: $10k - $10k

How to reach: Apply via the site. Weekly cohorts.

SBA-funded centers providing free business advising, training, and loan support for veterans.

Check: $0k - $0k

How to reach: Find your regional VBOC and schedule a free advising session.

Pre-seed checks into underrepresented founders (women, people of color, LGBTQ+).

Check: $25k - $100k

How to reach: Apply via the website. Highly oversubscribed; persistence matters.

Non-dilutive grants for global health, agriculture, and education innovation.

Check: $100k - $100,000k

How to reach: Watch for open Challenges. Each is topic-specific.

Free GPU credits, technical training, and go-to-market support for AI startups.

Check: $0k - $100k

How to reach: Free membership. Tiered benefits.

Equity-free 4-month program with $0-$3M in prize money. Boston, Israel, Mexico, Texas, Switzerland.

Check: $0k - $3,000k

How to reach: Apply via masschallenge.org. Equity-free is rare — strong value for capital-light founders.

Student-run fund (General Catalyst-backed). Up to $25k for student founders.

Check: $5k - $25k

How to reach: Apply via the website or get a warm intro through a fellow scout.

Shared-Earnings Agreement (SEAL) — non-dilutive capital with revenue share. Bootstrapper-friendly.

Check: $50k - $250k

How to reach: Apply via earnestcapital.com once you have 3+ months of revenue.

Diverse founders, seed/Series A. $250k-$1M checks with active follow-on.

Check: $250k - $1,000k

How to reach: Warm intro via portfolio + Harlem Capital fellows.

$25k-$50k pre-seed checks. Bias for hustle, customer obsession, and 'do things that don't scale'.

Check: $25k - $50k

How to reach: Apply via hustlefund.vc. Fast (often <2 weeks) decision.

Revenue-based financing for SaaS, $50k-$4M. Repay as a fixed percentage of monthly revenue.

Check: $50k - $4,000k

How to reach: Apply via lightercapital.com at $10k+ MRR.

Pre-seed checks into non-coastal, often-overlooked founders building in 'unsexy' verticals.

Check: $100k - $500k

How to reach: Apply via the site. Public criteria are clear.

Global awards program for women-led businesses with positive social impact. $30k-$100k grants per finalist.

Check: $30k - $100k

How to reach: Annual application cycle. Strong impact narrative required.

Up to $150k in Azure + GitHub credits, sales support, and customer access.

Check: $0k - $150k

How to reach: Self-serve application. Credits in days.

Climate / energy / carbon-negative technologies that can scale.

Check: $1,000k - $50,000k

How to reach: Apply via breakthroughenergy.org. Long process — expect months.

$120k + 3 months of mentorship across 50+ verticalized programs (HealthTech, FinTech, GovTech, etc.).

Check: $120k - $120k

How to reach: Apply to a vertical or geographical program that aligns with your thesis.

$50k grant for university-affiliated technology teams to test commercialization. Non-dilutive.

Check: $50k - $50k

How to reach: Apply through your university's NSF I-Corps liaison.

E-commerce revenue-based financing. $10k-$20M for inventory, marketing, working capital.

Check: $10k - $20,000k

How to reach: Apply at clear.co. Approval in days.

Mission-driven local lender funding small businesses in underserved markets. Flexible terms.

Check: $5k - $250k

How to reach: Find a CDFI in your state via the CDFI Fund site.

Up to $100k in AWS credits + business support for startups.

Check: $0k - $100k

How to reach: Self-serve application; credits depend on accelerator/investor association.

Software is eating the world. Multi-stage fund with deep operating-team support across crypto, AI, bio, games, consumer.

Check: $250k - $100,000k

How to reach: Apply via the a16z site or get a warm intro from a portfolio founder. Crypto + bio teams have dedicated submission forms.

Seed-only. Concentrated bets on 'first-of-their-kind' founders. Heavy community support via Forum.

Check: $500k - $5,000k

How to reach: Warm intro to a First Round partner is best. Pitch.firstround.com accepts cold inbound.

Pooled angel checks via lead syndicate members. Lower friction than chasing 20 individual angels.

Check: $100k - $1,000k

How to reach: Get a warm intro to a syndicate lead in your domain. List on AngelList Talent for visibility.

Fellowship + capital platform. Best for founders pre-traction looking for a community.

Check: $50k - $250k

How to reach: Apply via beondeck.com. Selective fellowship.

$150k for 6%. Global program with emerging-markets specialization.

Check: $150k - $150k

How to reach: Apply via 500.co. Vertical batches across regions.

Free entrepreneurship resources + competitions on 75+ campuses. Non-dilutive support.

Check: $0k - $50k

How to reach: Find your campus LaunchPad office and attend orientation.

Department of Energy grants for transformational energy technology.

Check: $500k - $10,000k

How to reach: Watch for open solicitations; cycles last 60-90 days.

Long-term fixed-rate financing for major fixed assets (real estate, equipment) at favorable terms.

Check: $125k - $5,500k

How to reach: Work with a Certified Development Company in your state.

Trade future MRR for upfront capital. Self-serve, near-instant decisioning.

Check: $25k - $5,000k

How to reach: Self-serve onboarding once you have recurring revenue.

Pre-order / rewards-based crowdfunding. Best for consumer products, creative projects, hardware.

Check: $5k - $5,000k

How to reach: Build the campaign page + video. Pre-launch list of 1k-5k emails is the #1 predictor of success.

Journalism, civic tech, and arts grants in target US cities.

Check: $25k - $1,000k

How to reach: Watch for open RFPs. Knight-resident-city focus.

Strategic investments in SaaS / AI / vertical-cloud companies adjacent to Salesforce.

Check: $1,000k - $50,000k

How to reach: Best via the Salesforce AppExchange partner team.

Multi-stage, cloud-focused. Best known for SaaS leadership and the Cloud 100.

Check: $1,000k - $30,000k

How to reach: Warm intro preferred. Sector partners often hold open office hours announced on Twitter.

Day-zero co-founder matching + $100k pre-seed checks. Best for solo founders without a team.

Check: $100k - $200k

How to reach: Apply to a city cohort. Co-founder matching is the headline feature.

National Institutes of Health funding for health, biotech, and clinical research startups.

Check: $50k - $2,000k

How to reach: Browse FOAs (Funding Opportunity Announcements) on grants.nih.gov.

Specialty lender for small + medium businesses: lines of credit, term loans, invoice factoring.

Check: $5k - $250k

How to reach: Self-serve application at bluevine.com.

$1M no-strings investment for 5 startups willing to relocate to Buffalo, NY for a year.

Check: $1,000k - $1,000k

How to reach: Apply once per year. Top-5 win $1M each.

Remote tournament for early founders. $20k + AWS credits + the Pioneer network.

Check: $20k - $20k

How to reach: Apply to the weekly tournament. Earn points by shipping progress.

National Science Foundation funding for engineering, AI, infrastructure research.

Check: $100k - $2,000k

How to reach: Apply via Research.gov.

Flexible-funding crowdfunding for hardware + consumer products. InDemand for ongoing post-campaign sales.

Check: $5k - $5,000k

How to reach: Build the campaign page + ship the prototype demo video.

Regulation Crowdfunding equity. Raise $5k-$5M from accredited + non-accredited investors.

Check: $5k - $5,000k

How to reach: Apply to Republic. Pre-campaign marketing list is essential.

Highest-profile early-stage startup pitch competition. Top-30 selected each year.

Check: $100k - $100k

How to reach: Apply via the website. Selective.

Non-dilutive grants for technology innovation across 11 federal agencies. Phase 1 $50k-$300k, Phase 2 $750k-$1.5M.

Check: $50k - $1,500k

How to reach: Browse open topics on sbir.gov. Each agency has its own cycle (NIH, DoD, NSF, DoE, etc.).

Working-capital line of credit from a community bank where you already bank.

Check: $10k - $250k

How to reach: Schedule a meeting with your business banker. Bring 2 years tax returns + bank statements.

Reg CF + Reg A+ equity crowdfunding platform. Best for community-driven brands.

Check: $50k - $5,000k

How to reach: Apply via wefunder.com. Community list + customer base accelerate the raise.

State-level grants for job creation, R&D, or rural development. Highly variable by state.

Check: $5k - $500k

How to reach: Visit your state's Department of Economic Development website. SBDC offices help with applications.