Ten years ago, we launched Grand Central Tech—our zero-rent, zero-equity residency program for early-stage startups—with one central objective: to build an exceptional venture community. By combining inimitable physical space, an extraordinary community of builders, a principled view on company building, and a thoughtful take on capital, we feel we’ve done just that. The hope is that such an environment can propel already-promising entrepreneurs towards success that much faster, and that much more durably. The proof is in the results: since our inception the 191 participating companies have raised $3.7B in funding from the world’s top venture firms. Across our two current cohorts, 36% of companies are founded by 2nd time founders, 41% are founded by senior leadership from growth stage or public tech companies, with the remaining being among the best up-and-coming tech talent in NYC.
Over the last decade, our program has largely reflected where the most talented founders have chosen to spend their time creating early-stage companies. Unlike the many cycles before this, from mobile to crypto to the creator economy, we have never seen such a groundswell of talent focusing their energy in a common direction as we have with AI over the last 12 months. Unsurprisingly, this year’s cohort reflects this exciting dynamic.
Without further ado, we are thrilled to introduce you to our Spring 2024 cohort and reintroduce you to our Fall 2023 cohort.
