Wait, how do I get into F/ai?

With the launch of F/ai, STATION F introduced a new, highly selective program for ambitious, AI-native startups. Since the announcement, we received literally hundreds of interested companies reaching out from around the world, with one question that has come up repeatedly from founders: how can I actually get in?

With F/ai, we deliberately designed a different process from our other in-house programs. Given the caliber of partners involved – including major global AI companies and tier-1 VCs – it was important to set a very high bar from day one and attract the strongest founders globally.

We have 16 program partners and 8 investor partners – they see A LOT of companies and A LOT of founders and are accessible in many countries around the world. So while recommendation-based may sound like a closed system, it turns out we just inverted the funnel. We want to work with founders who are up to the challenge and able to navigate their way in through one of the 24 participating organizations. 

Who is eligible?

We want to warn you: getting into the F/ai Program is extremely competitive. We have already had some incredible teams that did not make the cut for batch 1. There is no perfect formula and there may be exceptions, but in general, we are looking for founders who have: 

• A clearly AI-native product

• A strong founder team with deep technical or research expertise (we have quite a few PhDs and 80% serial entrepreneurs in the first batch)

• Early traction or a credible path to strong commercialization (we want teams that can hit €1 million in revenue within 6 months)

• A solid global ambition from day one (we’ll take anyone interested in world domination)

Note that founder teams can come from anywhere in the world but the program itself takes place in Paris. We provide a visa letter for selected teams who need it, but note that it is the government who provides the visa – not STATION F. 

When should founders prepare to apply?

F/ai runs twice per year. The current batch runs from January to April. The next batch is scheduled from September to December 2026.The F/ai Program is designed to not only help you with product but also commercialization. Your product needs to be ready for commercialization when you are in the program, otherwise you will not benefit from the full program. If you are also already generating millions in revenue, this is not the right program for you (but good job!). 

Some extra tips to help you

You don’t need to be perfectly connected to start. Here are a few more tips to help you. 

1) See full program details on the website

Interested founders should take a look at the details on our website. There is also a place to leave your contact details. We actively review this pool and can reach out if we see someone who may be a good fit. But please do not harass us to see if your contact details have been well received. See HERE.

2) Get in touch with our partners, it’s not hard! Build visibility in the ecosystem

We have 16 current program partners and 8 investor partners for F/ai. They are very accessible in the ecosystem and have teams across multiple countries. You can easily reach out and get in touch with them. For the larger companies you’ll want to get in touch with the startup program lead or partnership leads, and for investors you should get in touch with the partners directly. Don’t hesitate to reach out to someone and work your way up – this is how it works. Engage with VCs, AI communities, research networks, and events. 

3) Not a fan of this format? Apply for another STATION F program

No intro yet? No problem. At STATION F, we have more than 30 programs, some of them dedicated to AI. You might find a good fit there. For example, there are additional AI Programs with Meta and Microsoft on campus. 

Besides that, we also have the “Landing Zone”, our entry point for early-stage founders – with training, mentorship, office hours, and full access to the STATION F ecosystem. Many founders use the Landing Zone as a stepping stone before entering more selective programs. More info HERE. 

Bottom line:

F/ai is selective by design. But leading founders who are building serious AI companies, showing momentum, and engaging with the ecosystem have a strong chance to get in. So set yourself up to be one of them.

The earlier you start building relationships and visibility, the better your chances for the next batch.