Alpha
Program

A special program from us to invest in Underserved Entrepreneurs at the Alpha Stage.

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About the Alpha Program

Alpha (α), the first letter of the Greek alphabet denoting the beginning, represents the program’s mission to seek and empower the brightest and hungriest entrepreneurs with category-defining ideas. Co-founded by TSVC and SAF (Sinovel Angel Fund), the Alpha Program funds and fuels innovation at the pre-seed, alpha stage for entrepreneurs throughout our alumni community.

There is no fixed duration for the program, and we accept applications on a rolling basis.

what the alpha program offers

Funding

From ideation to proof-of-concept, we will fund the initial $150k investment and ask for a 6% stake in your company.

Alumni Advisory Board

Connect with the program’s accomplished alumni advisory board. Advisors are veteran entrepreneurs who have made successful exits and can provide expert guidance on your new venture.

TSVC Office Hours

We will hold customized coaching sessions to share knowledge in initial value positioning and GTM strategy to fully prepare you for future rounds of funding.

Who We're Looking for

The Alpha Program seeks Alpha Entrepreneurs who:

  • Have category-defining tech ideas
  • Have been thinking about and tinkering with your ideas for more than 1,000 hours, and will seriously commit and execute when you get your first check
  • Will incorporate your company in the US
  • Have a founding team member who is a graduate of one of the TSVC partners’ alma maters (preferred but not required)

The application process

The Alpha Program accepts applications on a rolling basis. Please allow up to 2 weeks of processing time upon your application’s submission. We will reach out to you for an initial pitch meeting if you are selected for a first round interview, followed by a technical and team interview afterwards. The process will take around 4 weeks from application to admission.

the Alpha Program advisors

Mike Novotny

Life Science, Healthcare, HealthTech
Founder, Board Member & Former CEO of Medrio
Former President of Ninaza
Former CEO of Telosa Software

Derek Wang

Data Strategy, Enterprise SaaS, AI, NLU/NLP
Founder & CEO of Stratifyd
Member of Forbes Technology Council
Associate Director of the Charlotte Visualization Center

Jack Jia

Consumer-Tech, Digital Health, Social Network
Founder & CEO of Musely
Former Partner & Advisor for GSR Ventures 
Founder & CEO for Baynote
Founding CTO for Interwoven

Austin Che

Synthetic Bio, Cell Programming
Co-Founder of Ginkgo Bioworks ($4.4B Valuation)
PhD Researcher at MIT

Changming Liu

Computer Science, Security, Cloud
CEO & Co-Founder of Stellar Cyber Inc
Founder of Aerohive Networks (IPO 2014)

Zheng Xu

Climate-tech, Robotics
Founder & CEO of EBOTS
CEO & Co-founder of Silevo Inc (Acquired by SolarCity - Tesla)

Apply to the Alpha Program Today

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