Neo Residency vs Z Fellows
How Neo Residency and Z Fellows compare on investment, equity, format, stage and timing. Every figure comes from the programs' own sites, verified November 4, 2026.
| Neo Residency | Z Fellows | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $750K | $10K |
| Deal terms | $750K uncapped SAFE (students: $40K grant) | Optional $10K investment at a $1B valuation cap, converting into stock at the next priced round. Fellows can also join with no investment. |
| Format | In-person | Hybrid |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | San Francisco, United States |
| Stage | pre-seed, seed | idea, pre-seed |
| Sectors | general, ai | general |
| Duration | 3 months | 1 week |
| Application cycle | 2 cohorts a year | Rolling; multiple cohorts a year |
Investment is the full standard package; where part of it is an uncapped SAFE, the equity stake covers only the fixed part (see deal terms). Terms change; confirm on each official site before applying.
About
Neo Residency
Neo, founded by Ali Partovi, runs the Neo Residency, a three-month program in San Francisco plus a two-week mountain bootcamp. It invests $750K per startup on an uncapped SAFE, so its ownership is set by the next priced round, and it runs a student track with $40K no-strings grants. Two cohorts a year are capped at about 20 teams.
Notable alumni: Moment, Anterior
About
Z Fellows
Z Fellows is a one-week fellowship run by Cory Levy. It brings together about ten builders with founders of billion-dollar companies. The week is mostly virtual and ends with a day in person in San Francisco or New York. Fellows can take an optional $10K investment. It is open worldwide, with no age limit, and applicants do not need a company.
Notable alumni: Cursor, Cognition, Etched, Whop
Key differences
Neo Residency or Z Fellows?
- Does Neo Residency or Z Fellows invest more?
- Neo Residency invests more: $750K against $10K from Z Fellows.
- Do I need to relocate for Neo Residency or Z Fellows?
- Neo Residency runs in person (headquartered in San Francisco, United States); Z Fellows runs hybrid (headquartered in San Francisco, United States).
More comparisons: Y Combinator vs Neo Residency · All comparisons
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