The annual list
The founders worth backing, chosen once a year and published every January 1st.
The inaugural Shortlist publishes January 1, 2027. Applications are open now.
Apply to be consideredWhat it is
Once a year, on January 1st, the Shortlist names the pre-seed and seed founders worth backing.
Chosen from thousands of applications and read against years of real venture outcomes, it is the shortest list in the Valley, and the one investors open first. Making it is the credential. Reading it is not optional.
The cadence
How a name makes it
Send your deck. Every founder who applies is read, on the record, before the list is set.
Scored against real outcomes and read by a person. Everyone gets honest written feedback.
The top few percent are named to the Shortlist on January 1st. The rest keep an open door to reapply.
Applications open