Unusual Academy

Accelerate your path to product-market fit

Unusual Academy is a hands-on program for committed founders who are ready to dive head first into the company building process.

We run three unique Academy cohorts per year — whether you’re a student founder or an experienced technologist, we want to hear from you. 

Learn more

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The 2024 University Edition application is open!

2/12/24

Apply Now

Receive a $25K investment + unlimited support from the Unusual team

$25k

The application will be open until February 12, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

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Spring 2024 University Edition Details

The application will close on

2/12/24

!

Teams should be 2-4 people with at least one full-time student and at least one technical co-founder.

There are three core required dates for the program: March 8, April 12, and May 17. The majority of the team should be available for all three dates.

Teams will receive an initial $25,000 investment. Teams that choose to continue working together over the summer following Unusual Academy will have the opportunity to receive $25,000 per team member in additional funding.

In person attendance in Menlo Park, CA is required for the first session and strongly encouraged for the two that follow.

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Expert guidance on your path from insight to product-market fit

Unusual Academy Alumni

DOPT #1 on Product Hunt
Tara and Amelia
Tyson Mao
Co-Founder and CEO, Tobiko Data
Unusual Academy alumni have gone on to raise growth capital from the following firms and many more.
How Vivun found product-market fit
CoScreen
RelicX
Rasgo

Absolutely awesome. The case studies are very valuable resources to learn from, as is the entire Unusual approach. Thanks to the entire team for creating, organizing and presenting such high quality content!

"

One of the most impactful programs I've joined in college. UV team is extremely thoughtful, and all the sessions are very practical for founders. This isn't just theory-based, but they want us to take actions and get our hands dirty. Highly recommend to anyone who aspires to be a founder!

"

We’re so thankful to part of the program and we’re moving so much faster because of it. Way better than any startup class that we’re in at Stanford.

"

Questions we get asked

How far along does my company need to be for me to apply?

No idea is too early! We welcome teams at any stage from idea to prototype to production to apply to the program.

How much time will I need to commit to this program on a weekly basis?

We expect all participants to attend the three required full day workshops on Friday, March 8, Friday, April 12, and Friday, May 17. The March session must be attended in-person in Menlo Park, CA, and in-person attendance is highly encouraged at the two that follow. Outside of these core sessions, you can expect to spend 1-2 hours per week engaged in the program.

Does my company/idea have to be in a certain sector for me to be eligible to apply?

We invest in four primary areas: infrastructure, SaaS, applications, and fintech. You can check out our full portfolio and learn more about our approach here: https://www.unusual.vc/portfolio. Please feel free to reach out to learn@unusual.vc with any specific questions!

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Applications are now closed. Subscribe to our newsletter for updates.

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The application for the Spring 2024 cohort is now open!

Apply now to have the opportunity to learn from expert founders, connect with your peers, and build your company. Application open until 9/8/23!

Apply Now
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