Forum Ventures, the early-stage B2B venture studio, accelerator, and pre-seed fund, today released performance data from its most recent accelerator cohort, offering a detailed look at revenue outcomes, founder backgrounds, and team composition. The data challenges long-held assumptions in the startup funding ecosystem about what makes a founder likely to succeed.
Across Forum's most recent cohort, three findings stand out: 64.1% of founders reached early revenue during the program, 58.3% are first-time founders, and 25.6% are solo-founder led. These independent data points reflect different dimensions of who is in the program and what they achieved.
“Most accelerators are subconsciously filtering out the founders who need them most. Solo founders, first-timers, founders without a product yet - those are exactly the people we built Forum for. The data shows they can deliver,” said Michael Cardamone, CEO & Managing Partner of Forum Ventures.
The narrative around early-stage funding has long assumed that the safest bets are repeat founders, co-founding teams, and companies with demonstrated traction before the program begins. Forum's 2026 cohort data offers a different perspective on each of these assumptions.
Solo founders can deliver. 25.6% of the cohort are solo-founder led, despite many accelerators and early-stage funds favoring co-founding teams. Forum's approach pairs each company with a dedicated Managing Director who works 1:1 weekly, providing the operational support and accountability that a co-founder would typically offer.
First-time founders are not a risk factor. 58.3% of the cohort had never founded a company before. Yet the cohort's revenue and follow-on outcomes are consistent with Forum's 3-year averages: a 65% fund-through rate and an 80+ NPS score across the portfolio. The data suggests that first-time founders who receive structured, hands-on support—15 hours minimum of 1:1 Managing Director time, 40+ investor introductions per showcase—can perform at high levels.
Revenue during the program is the real traction benchmark. 64.1% of founders reached early revenue during the 16-week accelerator, regardless of what traction they had when they joined. The Forum model, focused on go-to-market, customer traction, and fundraise readiness from week one, is designed to produce this outcome.
“The $100k is nice... but the real value comes from having the MDs on your team. Their perspective, energy, and introductions as you grow are worth the investment. Especially for first-time founders who need someone to walk the journey with,” said Kory Kelly, Founder of Legal Karma, which raised $6.8M to date.
Forum's accelerator is a 16-week program investing $100K for 7.5% equity via post-money SAFE. Each company receives a dedicated Managing Director, a former founder or operator, who works with them 1:1 weekly. The program focuses on go-to-market, customer traction, and fundraise readiness, without a rigid curriculum.
The accelerator is best suited for founders who have raised less than $500K and are pre- or post-MVP. Applications are reviewed individually, and Forum answers every pitch. Program terms include $100K for 7.5% equity, 16 weeks, 15 hours minimum 1:1 MD time, 40+ investor introductions per showcase, and $100K+ in year-one perks.
Forum Ventures, founded in 2014 and headquartered in New York City with offices in San Francisco and Toronto, has backed 550+ portfolio companies and 1,000+ founders, with $1B+ in follow-on funding raised across the portfolio. Its three investment strategies—the AI Venture Studio ($250K at formation), the Accelerator ($100K, 16 weeks), and the Pre-Seed Fund ($250K-$1M)—make it the only early-stage firm investing from pre-idea through early growth. More information is available at forumvc.com.
