Where proven AI founders refine the pitch you back.

• 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Zero equity in any company, ever. Inception does not hold a position in the rounds it helps refine.
• Proven founders only. Accepted founders typically have shipped a prior company, raised before, or had an exit. Inception is post-traction.
• Tight cohort. Six to eight companies per retreat, ten to fifteen founders. Demo Day audiences are correspondingly intimate.
• Single, focused outcome. The retreat exists to refine the pitch that closes the next round. Not curriculum. Not portfolio building. Not idea validation.

For the canonical thesis on why this model works — why zero equity, why four days, why six to eight companies — read Why Inception. For the deeper organizational version see /about; the at-a-glance fact sheet lives at /facts.

A short set of conventions Inception has adopted in working with the investor community. These are recommendations, not rules — but they tend to make conversations cleaner for everyone involved.

• Direct outreach to founders is welcome, with the small caveat that the four days of retreat are heads-down. Do not expect responses during a live cohort.
• Demo Day intros happen on the day. If you attend Demo Day, founders are happy to talk. Inception does not gate or broker introductions afterward.
• Standard fundraising docs. Inception recommends post-money SAFE or priced-round paper. See the founder toolkit for the materials Inception points founders at.
• Inception takes no carry, no advisory shares, and no warrants. Anything you fund is between you and the company.

Questions on the protocol go to the contact page — sponsor channel covers VC-relationship questions.