Win $5M for your startup
plus the chance to present to the NFX Partnership for a MASSIVE round.
Uncapped SAFE
Open to all Berkeley students
Apply by Christmas
The submission period is now closed.
How FAST Works
FAST helps Berkeley Founders get their startups off the ground, and begin a long term relationship between you and NFX.
- All applicants get feedback, no Founder is left ghosted
- Most founder friendly investment terms out there: Uncapped SAFE, no discount
- Winners will get the chance to pitch the NFX Partnership for a 2m+ seed round
- Initial response within 4 business days
- Decision within 9 days
- Money in your bank within 3 weeks
- $20M allocated. First come, first serve
- Simple financial contract, standard terms the Founder chooses $500K - $2M SAFE investment depending on FAST type
- Transparent - you know the deal terms and where you are in every step of the process
- Founders who receive FAST funding join the NFX Guild, our portfolio of 400+ top Founders who support each other
- Simple financial contract, standard terms the Founder chooses $1M - $2M SAFE investment depending on FAST selection
- $20M allocated. First come, first served
- Simple financial contract, standard terms the Founder chooses $1.5M - $3M SAFE investment depending on FAST type
- If you've interacted with NFX within the past 12 months and didn't receive funding, please highlight the business improvements made in your application for reconsideration.
- Private and simple application process
- Opportunity to pitch live (and privately) to NFX partners in the final round
- Winners will get the chance to pitch the NFX Partnership for a pre-seed/seed round when ready
- Focusing on 7 sectors: Defense, Space, Cyber, DevOps AI, Longevity, FinTech, Vertical AI
- Simple financial contract, standard terms the Founder chooses $1M - $3M SAFE investment depending on FAST type
What types of businesses are most likely to win NFX FAST?
No idea is too early. NFX FAST is targeting pre-seed and seed stage companies that have raised less than $2M of funding.
NFX invests in a broad range of sectors including AI, Marketplaces, Fintech, Proptech, Games, Networks, Computational Biology, Climate, Consumer, B2B, SMB software, enterprise software, etc. See our existing portfolio to get a sense.
Like all investors, we have investment preferences and areas of focus that you should know about. For instance, we strongly favor companies that can have network effects (NFX).
We don't focus on these sectors: semiconductor, medical devices, pure pharma, pure hardware, and network devices.
FAQ
How can NFX invest so quickly?
How do I apply?
Who sees my application?
What does FAST stand for?
When will the winners be announced?
What is the prize?
What are the terms of the prizes?
Who can apply?
Does my company need to be incorporated to compete / win?
Who can I reach out to if I have additional questions?
How do I know if I should apply for $100K or $250K?
Will there be another FAST in the Spring?
About NFX
The Partners of NFX have built 10 companies with more than $10 billion in exits across multiple industries and geographies. We're entrepreneur first because we were entrepreneurs first. And we’re determined to guard the backs of the next generation of fearless founders.
For more insights on who we are, visit www.nfx.com. While there, you can watch, read and listen to the best coverage of fundraising, network effects, marketplaces, and all things startup.