HackNation Venture Lab

VL3

The new Unicorn Foundry

For the most ambitious founders.

This is what we give you

Mentors

Big Tech and Big Pharma. Spar, roast, coach.

Coaches

Business co-founders from top US, EU, and Asian schools.

Credits

$1M+ compute and discounts. 130+ deals.

Partners

Hack-Nation network. Feedback and customers.

Investors

EWOR, a16z, Antler, Creandum, Cherry, EF. Investor Day.

Partners

How to apply

Investor Day

  1. Choose your Exception

    Track record. Full-time drive.

  2. Choose your Moonshot

    Working prototype. Sharp thesis.

  3. Get selected

    Curated VL3. High bar.

  4. Run the lab

    12 weeks full-time. Investor Day.

Twelve weeks

Chart: a prototype line stays flat until the Lab starts, rises steeply across twelve weeks, and branches into your seed round after Investor Day.

Prototype in. Investor Day out.

Apply

Pick your path

Founders

Build the company

Working prototype. High bar. Curated VL3.

Apply as a founder

Mentors

Guide a team

We pre-select. The team picks. Matched by domain.

Apply as a mentor

MBA coaches

Coach a startup

One team. Prototype to Investor Day.

Apply as an MBA

Outcomes

Founders who shipped further.

View LinkedIn profile →
YC F25 founder
“I did Hack-Nation this summer, applied with the same idea to Y Combinator and got in. Finished the batch and raised a seed.”

David de Gruijl

Founder @ Anto (YC F25)

From past cohorts

  • a11y

    GovTech

    Automated accessibility for government.

    Live product

  • Anka

    Healthcare

    AI companion for hospital patients.

    Hospital pilots

  • Upwind

    Marketing

    On-brand campaigns at software speed.

    First revenue

  • Eliot

    Enterprise

    Semantic middleware for AI agents.

    BASF champion