Questions we get asked.

No. You don't need an established company, but you should have spent meaningful time exploring a specific problem and have evidence of what you've already done. This could include research, experiments, prototypes or customer validation.

Applications are individual. Each selected Fellow receives a place in the programme. You can already be working with co-founders, but participation and eligibility are assessed individually.

Candidates must be 18 or older. There is no upper limit and no requirement around graduation or career stage. What matters is evidence of motion and the ability to commit fully in Venice.

Yes, as long as you can commit full-time from the start of the program. The Fellowship can't be combined with attending classes, so you'll need to have finished or paused your studies.

We look for evidence that you've moved beyond thinking about a problem. This might include customer conversations, research, experiments, prototypes or early products — anything that shows initiative and learning.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Selection runs in several steps. Apply online: tell us about your background, the problem you're pursuing and what you've already achieved. Share evidence of your work and complete an interview. Record a one-minute intro video and take on a challenge. If you pass this stage, you'll be invited for an interview and you'll meet the Selection Committee. Up to 20 Fellows are selected per cohort.

Every two weeks you have a focused 15-minute check-in with a panel: you show customer evidence, discuss what changed your plan, and set one clear objective for the next Gate. The Gate is designed to redirect, not eliminate, though Fellows who repeatedly make no progress may be asked to leave.

Gate reviews are led by operators and investors who have built or funded companies at your stage. Each review is anchored to the objective you set at the previous Gate, not to subjective impressions.

Yes. nAItive is a full-time, on-campus program at H-FARM in Roncade, near Venice. Shared accommodation at H-FARM Campus Marina is included and fully funded. The program is deliberately immersive, so remote participation is not an option.

No. The Fellowship needs your full attention, so any other work, including remote freelancing, isn't compatible with it.

Non-EU founders are welcome. Visa support depends on the procedures of the Italian consulate in your country, which vary case by case. Once selected, we work with you directly to navigate the process — but final timelines and outcomes sit with the embassy where you apply.

Yes. The program is fully in English, and English is the main language spoken across H-FARM Campus.

No equity is taken as a condition of participation. The program is fully funded by Leonid Boguslavsky.

Not as a condition of joining. If you raise a round after the Fellowship, nAItive has the right to invest on the same terms as your lead investor. Whether and when you raise is up to you.

No. Founder's Day measures real customers, retention and revenue, not a funding round. The goal is a company that works, not one that has raised.

The goal is to leave with stronger market understanding, evidence from real-world testing and an AI-native venture ready for its next stage.

Yes. Fellows remain connected to the nAItive community beyond the programme, with opportunities to exchange experiences, maintain relationships and engage with future cohorts.