TRANSCEND FELLOWSHIP
Where founders go to find Product-Market Fit
55 countries
$400M raised
90 NPS
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The Transcend Fellowship is a selective program that helps early-stage founders building in education and the future of work find product-market fit!
We help you identify your top product-market fit challenge and run weekly PMF experiments that will drive traction for your startup.
Applications for TF17 are closed!
We help you identify your top product-market fit challenge and run weekly PMF experiments that will drive traction for your startup.
Applications for TF17 are closed!
OUTCOMES
For founders looking for product-market fit
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1 Experiment/day
Drive traction through PMF experiments
We know finding PMF can be messy, so help you keep things simple!
We will help you identify your current PMF and design experiments to drive progress in low-cost, rapid iteration tests.
100% of Fellows graduated running weekly experiments
We will help you identify your current PMF and design experiments to drive progress in low-cost, rapid iteration tests.
100% of Fellows graduated running weekly experiments
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$300M raised
1:1 mentorship from experienced mentors
Each Fellow is matched with a PMF Coach who has built startups in your sector, so they can give you personalized feedback on your experiments and PMF.
You will also receive 1:1 intros to experienced mentors in the space through our Mentor Jams.
Fellows gave us 90 NPS last year
You will also receive 1:1 intros to experienced mentors in the space through our Mentor Jams.
Fellows gave us 90 NPS last year
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+100 investors
Fine-tune your Fundraising Strategy
Fundraising doesn't have to be this hard.
We help you identify the right funding model for your company, and how to execute your fundraising strategy through feedback and introductions.
90% of Fellows defined their funding model through the Fellowship.
We help you identify the right funding model for your company, and how to execute your fundraising strategy through feedback and introductions.
90% of Fellows defined their funding model through the Fellowship.
OUR IDEAL FOUNDER
The Fellowship is for you if you...
Have identified a customer pain point
Have your first users with some traction, but want to speed up growth
Have a product vision, but need to build a clear GTM strategy
Want to raise a funding round in the coming months
Want to build a network of trusted peers & advisors
Have an idea you want to validate
Are pre-product & pre-revenue
Are looking to launch your startup to solve a problem in the space
You are in the right place
INDUSTRY EXPERTS
What's the word on us?
“Just wanted to give a big shout out to my friends at Transcend, the best edtech incubator in the world”
John Danner
3x Founder, Leading edtech investor
"A great opportunity for early edtech founders!"
Julia Stiglitz
Investor and Founder, CoRise
Transcend Network is doing so many incredible things!
Dan Carroll
Co-Founder, Clever & Transcend Fund LP
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TESTIMONIALS
Hear it from the fellows
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Experience
We only accept 30 founders into each cohort who, so the experience is highly personalized and intimate. To go more in-depth, check out our TF16 Overview.
The Fellowship experience focuses specifically on 4 elements:
The Fellowship experience focuses specifically on 4 elements:
Run Product-Market Fit Experiments, Weekly
Curriculum
In week 1, you will meet other founders in your cohort and get started with our orientation to the Transcend Network.
You will go through our product-market fit playbook (employed by 300+ startups and inspired by John Danner's PMF Playbook) to better understand where exactly you are on the path to PMF.
Once you have a clear assessment, we'll help you run weekly, low-cost PMF experiments that help you validate what your customer needs and wants, without going through long sales or product development cycles, such as landing pages, demos, ads, and much more.
We believe PMF experiments are central to every early-stage founder experience, and will give you all the tools and resources you need to run them weekly.
You will go through our product-market fit playbook (employed by 300+ startups and inspired by John Danner's PMF Playbook) to better understand where exactly you are on the path to PMF.
Once you have a clear assessment, we'll help you run weekly, low-cost PMF experiments that help you validate what your customer needs and wants, without going through long sales or product development cycles, such as landing pages, demos, ads, and much more.
We believe PMF experiments are central to every early-stage founder experience, and will give you all the tools and resources you need to run them weekly.
Your 1:1 PMF Coach
Curriculum
Founders don't need more generic advice – they need feedback from founders who've been there, and done that!
Each Transcend Fellows is matched 1:1 with a PMF Coach, who has previously exited, scaled or grown an edtech startup before in your specific sector (higher ed, K-12, corporate learning, future of work, etc). Every week, they'll support in interpreting and re-launching your PMF Experiments.
Each Transcend Fellows is matched 1:1 with a PMF Coach, who has previously exited, scaled or grown an edtech startup before in your specific sector (higher ed, K-12, corporate learning, future of work, etc). Every week, they'll support in interpreting and re-launching your PMF Experiments.
1:1 Mentor Jams
Curriculum
We know it takes a village to build a successful startup, so we match you with highly relevant mentors to the work you are doing and your sector.
Each Transcend Fellows is matched 1:1 with a Mentor for the Mentors Jams in the second half of the program, who will support you with defining your GTM strategy, PMF experiments, or fundraising strategy.
Each Transcend Fellows is matched 1:1 with a Mentor for the Mentors Jams in the second half of the program, who will support you with defining your GTM strategy, PMF experiments, or fundraising strategy.
Fine-tuning your Fundraising Strategy
Curriculum
A core objective of this fellowship is to allow you to identify & activate the right funding model for your startup.
In our fundraising sessions, we explore the current state of the fundraising market in edtech and discuss all the different models that are available for founders including Venture Capital, Bootstrapping, Nonprofit, or Impact investment. You get to explore what the right 'Funding-Market Fit' is for you on first principles and activate the right strategy for your organization.
In our fundraising sessions, we explore the current state of the fundraising market in edtech and discuss all the different models that are available for founders including Venture Capital, Bootstrapping, Nonprofit, or Impact investment. You get to explore what the right 'Funding-Market Fit' is for you on first principles and activate the right strategy for your organization.
Founder Outcomes
You can't improve what you don't measure – here are the outcomes we drove for our founders in our last cohort:
👉 100% of our fellows graduated running weekly PMF experiments. On average, each fellow ran 4 per week.
👉 25% of them are running 1 or more experiments every single day
👉 92% of our fellows defined their funding model through the Fellowship.
👉 100% of our fellows graduated running weekly PMF experiments. On average, each fellow ran 4 per week.
👉 25% of them are running 1 or more experiments every single day
👉 92% of our fellows defined their funding model through the Fellowship.
Weekly Schedule
We meet 2x per week (90 minute sessions) on Tuesday and Thursday 8AM PST, so you have time to get back to work! The optional sessions and community chats provide options for those who want to engage more deeply.
Our schedule is designed to be flexible so we don't get in the way of getting work done!
Our schedule is designed to be flexible so we don't get in the way of getting work done!
Mon
Content & Case study
Async
Learn from our frameworks and real life case studies
1:1 Founder Intro
Async
Connect 1:1 with founders in our network
Tue
Founder Lab #1
90 mins
Live, interactive 90min session facilitated by the Transcend team
Wed
Expert Roundtable
60 mins
Learn from leading experts in the space about PMF, fundraising, experiments, GTM, and much more.
Thur
Founder Lab #2
90 mins
Second session of the week with Transcend team & peer coaching
Fri
Fundraising Support
Async
Get feedback on your materials and get connected to investors in the future of learning and work on a 1:1 basis
Transcend Mentors
Our Mentors walked so you can run
Get 1:1 matched with our awesome mentors our mentoring sessions with successful founders and operators in the space, to receive tactical feedback on your startup's challenges.
You will be assigned a set of curated mentors whom you will get to meet 1:1 according to your sector or PMF stage so that you gain value from these conversations.
You will be assigned a set of curated mentors whom you will get to meet 1:1 according to your sector or PMF stage so that you gain value from these conversations.
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JOIN US
TF17 Fellowship Tuition
We have designed the Fellowship intentionally to be equity-free, to give founders optionality into what type of funding they want to apply to their startup.
If you are bootstrapped or early in your revenue journey, you can select one of our flexible instalments plans.
If you are bootstrapped or early in your revenue journey, you can select one of our flexible instalments plans.
TF17 Fellowship + Lifetime Membership to Network
UPCOMING COHORT
TF17
APP DEADLINE
June 18
FELLOWSHIP DATES
July 1 - August 21
If you are a bootstrapped founder or are early in your revenue journey, we offer three flexible payment plans
1 Payment of $1,800
3 Monthly payments of $650/month
6 Monthly payments of $350/month
Your tuition is the primary source of income in our for founders, by founders network and it allows us to pay for your coach, program team, educator-product advisor, and multiple virtual and in-person events bringing our fellows and investor/operator network together year over year.
As a global fellowship and network, we have had founders from 60 different countries go through our fellowship. To ensure accessibility to our work, we offer scholarships for applicants from low and middle income countries.
As a global fellowship and network, we have had founders from 60 different countries go through our fellowship. To ensure accessibility to our work, we offer scholarships for applicants from low and middle income countries.
THE NETWORK
The network that will get you plugged-in!
The Fellowship is just the beginning – every fellow that is accepted and graduates from the program will access our lively community of 300+ founders and global events programming, all over the world!
These online + IRL events and resources we bring to our community can be access without any additional costs for the founder.
Join our special events for Transcend Fellows at global conferences like:
These online + IRL events and resources we bring to our community can be access without any additional costs for the founder.
Join our special events for Transcend Fellows at global conferences like:
Bett Show in London 🇬🇧
SXSW Edu in Austin 🇺🇸
ASU GSV in San Diego 🇺🇸
South Summit in Madrid 🇪🇸
NYC Edtech Week New York City 🇺🇸
And that's just the beginning!
FAQs
Got a question about our Transcend Fellowship?
If you want to learn more, ask questions, and meet the Transcend founders, join us for our weekly events! RSVP below.
Can any startup join the Fellowship?
We exclusively work with startup founders that are in some way addressing how people learn or work and take a broad definition of edtech or the future of work.
We think about this space very broadly, and like working with projects that intersect with fintech, mental health, HR, or anything that gives you a unique angle!
We think about this space very broadly, and like working with projects that intersect with fintech, mental health, HR, or anything that gives you a unique angle!
What if I can't afford the cost of the Fellowship?
If you are bootstrapped or early in your revenue journey, you can select one of our flexible instalments plans in the application.
As a global fellowship and network, we have had founders from 60+ different countries go through our fellowship. To ensure accessibility to our work, we offer scholarships for applicants from low and middle income countries.
You can reach out directly to us if you qualify for these scholarships.
As a global fellowship and network, we have had founders from 60+ different countries go through our fellowship. To ensure accessibility to our work, we offer scholarships for applicants from low and middle income countries.
You can reach out directly to us if you qualify for these scholarships.
What's the best stage to apply?
The fellowship caters to founders who have defined a problem they are solving, identified a customer persona, gotten a bit of validation or traction, and are in the process of finding a product-market fit.
When in doubt, apply – we review every single application and will reach out with personalized feedback.
When in doubt, apply – we review every single application and will reach out with personalized feedback.
Do I need a project to get selected?
Yes – the Fellowship is exclusively for founders working on an existing project.
However, if you don't have one but have identified a customer persona to serve, we encourage you to still apply!
However, if you don't have one but have identified a customer persona to serve, we encourage you to still apply!
Will I receive fundraising support?
A core part of our curriculum and community experience is to help you identify & activate the right funding model for your startup. You will dive deeper into fundraising in last weeks of the program.
If as a fellow you qualify pre-seed metrics and are looking raise funds, you are eligible for 1:1 intros with investors in our network.
You also get to apply for funding from the Transcend Fund once you graduate from the fellowship!
If as a fellow you qualify pre-seed metrics and are looking raise funds, you are eligible for 1:1 intros with investors in our network.
You also get to apply for funding from the Transcend Fund once you graduate from the fellowship!
What days and times are the seessions scheduled?
Our Fellows meet 2x per week: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 AM PST (US West Coast).
We will also facilitate optional-to-attend weekly open discussions with industry experts every Wednesday and bi-weekly office hours.
We will also facilitate optional-to-attend weekly open discussions with industry experts every Wednesday and bi-weekly office hours.
Is the Transcend Fellowship an accelerator?
Sort of – unlike accelerators, we don't take equity in exchange for participating. We think this helps you have flexibility as a founder while operating at such an early stage.
What is the exepected time commitment? Will I have to attend every session?
The fellowship is designed to be flexible. We understand that as founders you know what your focus needs to be. Hence, once selected you will receive the schedule for all 5 weeks and you can choose which sessions you want to attend, depending on what is a priority for you.
We host 2 fellowship sessions in the week along with Office hours, optional events, and an active Slack community. On average, you can expect anywhere between 3-5 hours per week during the 5 weeks of the Fellowship.
After the fellowship, it's a totally optional commitment, but we maintain the active community and weekly programming for all founders.
We host 2 fellowship sessions in the week along with Office hours, optional events, and an active Slack community. On average, you can expect anywhere between 3-5 hours per week during the 5 weeks of the Fellowship.
After the fellowship, it's a totally optional commitment, but we maintain the active community and weekly programming for all founders.
Can my co-founder join the fellowship with me?
We accept founders individually, not teams. If you have multiple co-founders who are interested, you should decide who will make the most of the program.
You can also apply together and decide after the interview who will be best suited for the Fellowship.
You can also apply together and decide after the interview who will be best suited for the Fellowship.
When does the next cohort start?
You can check out our next dates above. To stay updated on our Fellowships, subscribe to the Transcend Newsletter, follow us on Twitter or on LinkedIn.
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