HF0: funding, terms & how to apply
The monastery model — a 12-week live-in residency in a San Francisco mansion for repeat founders, trading distraction-free intensity and up to $1M for 5%.
Investment
Up to $1M uncapped SAFE for 5%
Equity
5% for up to $1M; aimed at repeat founders
Program length
12 weeks
Format
In person
Deadlines
2 cohorts/year; apply ahead of each batch
Acceptance rate
Not published
Facts last checked 2026-08-26. Deals and dates change — the official site is always the source of truth for the current application window.
What HF0 actually is
HF0 ('Hacker Fellowship Zero') runs the most extreme format in the accelerator world: founders live together in a San Francisco house for 12 weeks with meals, laundry and logistics handled, in exchange for total focus on shipping. The deal is up to $1M on an uncapped SAFE for 5%, and the program explicitly targets repeat founders — people who've built before and want a compressed, distraction-free sprint at their next company.
The residency's small cohorts and AI-heavy recent classes make it closer to a founders' retreat with capital than a curriculum program. If you haven't founded before, build a track record first — that's the core filter.
What they look for
The bar you need to clear before the application is worth sending.
Repeat or previously-exited founders — first-timers are rare exceptions.
Willingness to live in the house full-time for 12 weeks.
A product that benefits from a monastic build sprint — most recent cohorts are AI.
Teams (or solo founders) already certain of their direction; this is execution time, not ideation.
Before you apply
Most rejections happen before the interview — in the application itself
Every question HF0 asks — problem, traction, business model, team, market size — maps to work you can finish first. Build your startup profile in StartupKit, run the readiness score, and walk into the application with real answers instead of blank fields. Free, no card.
Build your startup profile freeApplication FAQ
What is HF0's deal?
Up to $1M on an uncapped SAFE in exchange for 5% — among the largest standard checks in the accelerator category, reflecting its senior founder profile.
Do I really have to live in the house?
Yes — the live-in format is the program. Housing, food and operations are covered so the cohort does nothing but build for 12 weeks.
Can first-time founders get in?
It's aimed at repeat founders and the bar for exceptions is high. First-timers usually fit better at YC, Neo or a residency like Antler or EF first.
Similar programs
Neo
North America · No fixed % — dilution set by your next round's valuation
Ali Partovi's low-dilution counterweight to YC — a $750K uncapped SAFE (no fixed equity), tiny hand-picked cohorts, and a talent network that skews heavily technical.
Y Combinator
North America · 7% on the $125K; the $375K SAFE converts at your next round
The accelerator every other accelerator is measured against — $500K on founder-friendly terms, four batches a year in San Francisco, and the strongest alumni network in tech.
Entrepreneur First
Global · 8% if you pass the IC; ideation phase is equity-free
The talent-first investor — apply before you have a company, get matched with a technical or commercial co-founder in FORM, then build toward funding and a San Francisco LAUNCH phase.