RippleX Fellowship
Fellowship
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RippleX Fellowship
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Fellowship
The RippleX Fellowship is a three‑month founder‑development experience created by Toronto‑based seed fund Ripple Ventures to help student and recent‑graduate entrepreneurs validate, build and fundraise for B2B software companies. Since launching in 2021, 13 cohorts and more than 325 fellows have completed the programme, raising over $50 million in follow‑on capital.
Fellows work through a structured, milestone‑driven curriculum that mirrors the firm’s own investment process. Weeks 1–4 focus on problem discovery, customer interviews and MVP design; Weeks 5–8 dive into go‑to‑market strategy, metrics and financial modelling; Weeks 9–12 prepare founders for institutional fundraising with term‑sheet workshops and mock partner meetings. Sessions are led by Ripple Ventures partners, portfolio CEOs and guest operators from companies such as Shopify, HubSpot and Snowflake.
A distinguishing feature is the Fellow Fund. Teams that demonstrate traction during the programme can receive a SAFE cheque of $50 000–$100 000 and continue working with Ripple Ventures as full portfolio companies. To preserve founder ownership, Fellowship cheques are issued on founder‑friendly terms with no board seat requirements. The programme is equity‑free unless a Fellow Fund investment is accepted.
Graduates join the RippleX Alumni Guild—a Slack and in‑person community that shares investor intros, talent referrals and discounted SaaS perks. Alumni gatherings rotate between Toronto, New York and San Francisco each quarter, and the community hosts an annual “RippleX Summit” alongside Toronto Tech Week.
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Applications open three times a year (January, May, September). Applicants submit a short form, a two‑minute product‑vision video and evidence of problem validation. The selection team screens for founder‑market fit, B2B focus and bandwidth to ship weekly milestones. Short‑listed teams complete a 20‑minute Zoom interview before final cohort invites are issued. Acceptance rates hover around 7 percent, with cohorts capped at 25 teams to maintain a 1‑to‑5 mentor ratio.
The programme itself is unpaid and equity‑free. Founders that hit traction milestones can opt into a follow‑on SAFE investment of $50 000–$100 000 from the Fellow Fund in exchange for standard pre‑seed equity. No carry or fee is taken on companies that choose not to raise.
There is no tuition or platform fee. Ripple Ventures covers software, mentor honoraria and optional in‑person events. Fellows only pay incidental travel costs if they attend physical meet‑ups.
Timeline (Rich Text): A typical cohort proceeds as follows.
Fellows dedicate 6–8 hours a week: two 90‑minute live workshops, one hour of peer‑feedback circles, and independent customer‑discovery and build work. All live sessions are recorded for asynchronous review.
Core workshops, office hours and peer groups run on Zoom and Slack. Optional in‑person socials are organised in major North‑American tech hubs.
How long is the Fellowship?
Twelve weeks plus optional alumni programming.
Is it full‑time?
No. Expect 6–8 hours weekly while studying or working.
Do I have to accept the Fellow Fund cheque?
No. The investment is optional and offered only if milestones are met.
Does Ripple take equity up‑front?
Zero equity unless you accept the optional SAFE.
What industries qualify?
B2B SaaS and infrastructure. B2C and hardware are outside scope.
Can solo founders apply?
Yes, though teams of two or more are preferred.
Are international students eligible?
Currently only founders with North‑American market focus.
When are the next applications due?
Deadlines are 31 Jan, 31 May, and 30 Sep each year.
Do I need an MVP?
Customer‑validation evidence is required; an MVP is recommended but not mandatory.
What tooling is provided?
Notion venture wiki, AWS Activate, Mixpanel, Stripe Atlas and Carta Launch.
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