Ultra · Venture Fellowship · high school
Real progress on your startup.
A 10-week entrepreneurship mentorship program for high schoolers, focused on accountability and real business building.
Operated by founders from Harvard · Penn · Cornell
YC W26
Into YC from high school
Y Combinator W26
VC funded
Raised from VCs
as a high schooler
Acquisition offer
Thousands of users
and an acquisition offer
01 · First cohort
In our first cohort, two high school seniors were accepted into Y Combinator's Winter 2026 batch, making them among the youngest founders ever admitted. One team received an acquisition offer from a YC-backed company, another student raised hundreds of thousands from VCs, and additional fellows secured competitive grants and accelerator spots, including equity-free grants from the Forge Fellowship for cash-flowing businesses.
02 · What's included
Ten weeks. Two coaches. Zero busywork.
- 01
Weekly founder coach
1-on-1s with someone who has founded a venture-backed company or built a highly profitable one.
- 02
Weekly accountability coach
A dedicated coach who holds you to your weekly plan. Focus on what matters, not busywork.
- 03
Daily check-ins
Daily accountability through your coach and Ultra's accountability software.
- 04
YC founder access
Direct access to Y Combinator founders and founders of cash-printing machines.
- 05
Speaker events
Fireside chats with VCs, founders, and industry leaders throughout the program.
- 06
YC & grant referrals
Top performers get direct referrals to YC, grants, and accelerators.
03 · Why accountability
The most important thing is getting the right thing done, rather than wasting time on pitch decks or getting distracted. Planning out what matters and then being held to it leads to real results rather than fake projects.
04 · Fellows
YC W26
“Ultra's Venture Fellowship helped so much in launching InkVell. The mentorship helped us focus on what mattered, and we got direct access to YC founders as well as a referral.”
VC funded
“The fellowship connected me with incredible founders and helped us raise VC funding. Meeting other ambitious student entrepreneurs pushed us to move faster.”
Acquisition offer
“Oliver was so willing to help and gave us a more mature take on problems like sales cycles, saving us a lot of time. I'm shocked by how generous he's willing to be with his network.”
05 · Questions
What makes the Ultra Venture Fellowship special?▶
We provide real access to YC founders and $1M+ revenue entrepreneurs. Our fellows have had incredible outcomes: two high schoolers got into YC, one fellow raised hundreds of thousands from VCs, and another received a $26k Emergent Ventures grant. This isn't a classroom; we focus on building real businesses.
When is the fellowship?▶
Students can start whenever suits them best. Most fellows choose the summer, which is when our speaker sessions and events are held. Students who complete the fellowship earlier can still attend those summer events. You can apply now for the summer cohort.
Is financial aid available?▶
Yes. We offer need-based financial aid for qualified applicants. Financial constraints shouldn't prevent ambitious students from building real companies. Accountability coaching is also available separately if the full fellowship isn't the right fit.
What does the 10-week program look like?▶
Each week includes 1-on-1 sessions with your venture-backed founder mentor, check-ins with your accountability coach, goal-tracking software, and speaker events with YC partners, VCs, and successful founders. You'll also network with the other fellows in your cohort. The emphasis is on building and shipping.
How do I apply?▶
Use the Apply button on this page. We review applications on a rolling basis and select fellows who show genuine ambition to build something real. Having an existing idea or project helps, but we also accept founders who are still exploring.
How competitive is the program?▶
Highly selective. We look for students with genuine drive to build, not to pad a resume. Our mentors from the startup world help evaluate applications, and we prioritise founders who show evidence of action: shipping products, talking to users, or demonstrating real initiative.
How does this help with college applications?▶
Building a real company is one of the most impressive things you can show colleges. But we'd caution against joining just for college apps; we're looking for students who genuinely want to build something. That said, many fellows have used their startup experience to strengthen applications to top schools.
Who are the mentors?▶
Your 1-on-1 mentor will be a venture-backed founder or an entrepreneur running a business with significant revenue. You'll also get access to YC founders and partners through our speaker events and network.
Build something real this year.
Rolling admissions. Financial aid available. Start when it suits you; the summer is when the cohort meets.
Questions? oliver@helloamber.ai
The fellowship is run by the team behind Amber.