A six-month fellowship for twelve students from the world's best universities. We give you the budget and a cohort; you find exceptional people on your campus and bring them into our community.

• Apply: rolling basis, deadline May 31, 2026. Promising candidates get a personal interview.
• Week zero: virtual kickoff, meet your 11 cohort members, first scout briefing.
• Host 2 campus events: any format, $1,000 budget. Goal: surface exceptional talent.
• Host 2 hackathons: on your campus or co-hosted with a nearby scout. Fully funded.
• Secure sponsorships: every dollar a sponsor covers rolls into your trip fund.
• Cohort trip: 3–5 days, your pick of city. $500 base + whatever you raise above $1k (25% cohort · 15% you · 60% HN12).

• Currently enrolled student: undergrad, master's, or PhD graduating 2027 or later.
• Intellectually curious: you dig deeper than the surface, teach yourself new domains, follow questions wherever they lead.
• Creatively ambitious: you find unconventional paths forward and stay committed to seeing things through.
• Network builder: you invest in genuine relationships with people you admire and learn from, across levels and backgrounds.
• Thoughtful judge of talent: you notice potential others overlook and can articulate clearly why someone stands out.
• Tech-impact oriented: you think in systems, drawn to how startups and technology create outsized change.

• A world-class cohort: peers from the best schools in the world. The group you'll scout with, travel with, and possibly be friends with for life.
• A cohort trip: $500 floor with unlimited upside if you get sponsors to cover your campus events. You pick the destination.
• Real skill-building: learn how to assess potential, recognize patterns, understand team dynamics, validate ideas, and build technical fluency across fields.
• Warm intros to the industry: founders, accelerators, VCs, tech leaders and our sponsors (OpenAI, Databricks, Lovable, ElevenLabs, Mozilla).
• Full flexibility: the fellowship is designed around your schedule. Your academics stay your priority.

Request a spot

We're reviewing applications on a rolling basis. If selected for the next round, we'll contact you for a personal interview.

Applicant FAQs

• My university is not listed, can I apply? +

  Yes. We accept applications from other universities if you can make a strong case for why you and your campus are a good fit for the program.

• Who should not apply? +
  • You're not a student: if you're not currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program you're ineligible. If you're interested in collaborating with, sponsoring or supporting HN12, reach out via the form above.
  • You want to be managed closely: there's no playbook. You get a budget, a network, and full creative freedom. What you build with it is up to you.
  • You want a logo on your résumé: we have incredible sponsors, but we're still making a name for ourselves. If you're here to check a box, this isn't the right fit.
  • You don't want to live outside your comfort zone: you'll be in a lot of new rooms, meeting and reaching out to people you've never met, figuring things out as you go.
• Does the fellowship include monthly payments? +

  This is not a job. The fellowship includes $1,500 and sponsor opportunities but does not pay a monthly stipend.

• Deadlines & timeline +
  • Deadline: May 31, 2026
  • Duration: 6 months
  • Spots: 12 globally
  • Reviews: rolling basis
  • Next step: personal conversation with the team
  • Start: September 2026