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Jon Lai

Verified account speedrun

@Tocelot

GP @a16z @speedrun 馃尡 | former PM @RiotGames @TencentGlobal | dark souls fan & dad to 3 zerglings
San Francisco, CA jonlai.co Joined September 2008
2.8K Following 45K Followers 7.7K Posts

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Jon Lai Verified account @Tocelot
Applications for @speedrun are now open! If you鈥檙e an ambitious, high agency founder - we want to meet you

We鈥檒l bring the capital, customers, & talent - you bring yourself and your wildest ideas

Speedrun is an inception fund. We are your first believers - writing the first check and growing with you as your startup scales

Speedrun founders get up to $1M in funding and over $10M in startup credits across compute, cloud, marketing, and more

Speedrun is for founders with big ideas. We have teams creating new forms of datacenters, constructing orbital space platforms, disrupting 50yo vertical software incumbents, building novel AI doctors, and more

In a world where AI has made building easier than ever, the only cap on what a startup can achieve is the limit of their ambition. So we write the first check precisely on the ideas that sound a little crazy

apply at the link below before apps close on Nov 1st
2:34
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Jon Lai Verified account @Tocelot
this amazing @DrawquariumGame trailer perfectly captures the current mood in AI x games

there's appreciation for how better tools help artists express their ideas (MS Paint -> Powerdraw -> AI), but also reinforces that the human craft has never been more important

easy to forget as tools get more powerful - creation itself is play - it's the most human thing we do. finding that balance is the big opportunity (and challenge) for creatives & toolmakers over the next few years

my boys and i are beyond excited to draw fish for our drawquarium next week!
3:09
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Jon Lai Verified account @Tocelot
Sekai is building the next billion-user social platform on top of a new AI-native format: mini apps you play, remix, & share with friends

the network is compounding: 40M+ apps created, 20x user growth ytd 馃敟

congrats Lucky on the Series B by Khosla, just 9 months after the A!
Lucky Verified account @lucky_z2 4d
@rabois led our Series A in February. Today he's leading our Series B.

This year: 30M+ plays a day, 40M+ mini apps made, daily users up 20x+.

We made this announcement as a mini app you can play.

link.prod.sekai.chat/lYm9lR
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Jon Lai Verified account @Tocelot
12 hours until applications close for Speedrun 008!

take a bet on yourself. it's an amazing time to do a startup
- agents can help you build, launch, & grow
- new AI-native product categories are emerging
- TAM is larger than anyone thinks

build a generational company with us
speedrun @speedrun Nov 1
Last call for SR008.

apply for speedrun if you want to get access to:
> up to $1M in funding
> over $10M in startup credits
> intros to 150+ C-suite execs from the Fortune 500 & the a16z portfolio, plus a full day demoing live to buyers at AI Faire
> hiring support through our Talent Network, with 171K+ engineers, designers & product people and $0 in fees
> office access at our new North Beach HQ
> a 40-person team helping with GTM, talent, marketing & fundraising.

Mega recap of helpful resources below 馃憞
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Jon Lai Verified account @Tocelot
this is the final weekend to apply for Speedrun 008! apps close on Sunday so don't miss out

we can't wait to meet you!
andrew chen Verified account @andrewchen Oct 29
hey all - update for SR008:

It's now the FINAL weekend to apply for our next residency in San Francisco. Applications close this Sunday, Nov 1 at 11:59 PM PT.

Here's the link:
speedrun.a16z.com/apply

How it works:
- you apply
- we review, reach out to get introduced, etc
- if there's a fit, we handshake and sign
- we wire our investment right away!
- plus you get access to >$10M in credits right away
- you'll onboard + start working with us immediately, have access to working out of our SF offices, etc

The official residency starts Feb 2027 where we'll have speakers, office hours, and much more. I plan to be on site and look forward to meeting many of you

You might ask- who's the best fit for this? We want to talk to you as early as possible, and that means:
- no company yet
- no deck
- no huge insight tweet thread
- sometimes not even fully committed yet

You don't need the perfect idea. We can start working together when you're iterating and getting the idea off the ground. That's the whole point of speedrun - it's our way of backing you from Day 0.

More official stuff below:

- Deadline is this Sunday, Nov 1 at 11:59 PM PT (this weekend!)
- SR008 runs Feb 1 through April 18, 2027 in San Francisco -- twelve weeks of firesides, office hours, and sessions, closing out with Demo Day on April 13 in front of thousands of investors
- Capital: up to $1M with a two-week close target, plus $10M+ in credits from 200+ partners
- Customers: SR Insiders gets you in front of 10,000+ buyers and operators, including 150+ C-suite execs, plus a full day of live demos at AI Faire
- Talent: our Talent Network of 171,000+ engineers, designers, and product people. 230+ hires so far, $0 in fees. Plus visa, banking, and housing help if you're coming from abroad
- A team of ~40 battle-tested investors and operators who help cover your gaps without adding headcount -- GTM, marketing, brand, talent, fundraising, and more
- a16z speedrun is super selective -- fewer than 0.4% of applicants get in. You'll join a tight-knit community of founders from 20+ countries who stay involved as speakers, advisors, and often each other's first customers
- Still in school or still finding your idea/team? Check out the alpha fellowship too -- up to $250K for students, recent grads, and dropouts
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