Soma Scholars

🪙 Quick Facts

• Type: $30,000 non-dilutive grant
• Eligibility: Open to ambitious builders globally
• Process: Rolling admissions, 2-minute application
• Location: Global, with offices in NYC & SF
• Contact: Apply via somacap.com/scholars

👀 Mission

Soma Scholars is a high-impact, founder-focused program designed to empower ambitious builders, researchers, and creators to pursue their boldest ideas. It provides no-strings-attached funding, world-class resources, and access to an elite network—modeled as a launchpad for the next generation of world-changing innovators.

💰 What Soma Scholars Offers

• $30,000 Grant: No-strings-attached, non-dilutive funding to support your wildest idea—whether that's building a startup, writing a research paper, proving a math theorem, launching a hedge fund, or searching for aliens.

• Premium Offices: Access to fully equipped workspaces in New York City and San Francisco, designed to support deep work and collaboration.

• Elite Community: Join a peer group of brilliant minds, including founders of 30+ unicorns seeded by Soma, and gain 24/7 access to a supportive network of generational founders and leaders.

🏆 Soma's Track Record

Soma has a legacy of backing founders who have built some of the world's most valuable companies. Notable alumni and portfolio founders include:

• Parker Conrad (Rippling, $16B)
• Shuo Wang & Alex Bouaziz (Deel, $12B)
• Eric Glyman & Karim Atiyeh (Ramp, $13B)
• Harshil Mathur (Razorpay, $7B)
• Aadit Palicha (Zepto, $5B)
• Simon Borrero (Rappi, $5B)
• Scott Wu (Cognition, $4B)
• Jack Altman (Lattice, $3B)
• Many others across fintech, AI, SaaS, biotech, and more

🌐 Unmatched Network

Soma Scholars gain access to Soma's extensive network, including:

• Tech and business leaders (Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman, Larry Ellison, Marc Benioff, Jamie Dimon, Tim Cook, Sergey Brin, Sundar Pichai, Eric Schmidt, Satya Nadella, Ken Griffin, Marc Andreessen, John Collison, Michael Jordan, Mark Cuban, David Sacks, and more)
• Investors and VCs who can lead your next round
• Frequent events, dinners, and private gatherings with industry icons and cultural leaders

🎯 Life at Soma

Soma fosters a vibrant, collaborative community through:

• Regular founder dinners and networking events in NYC, SF, Miami, LA, and globally
• Intimate gatherings with tech luminaries, investors, athletes, and artists
• Access to exclusive experiences (NBA games, concerts, private dinners, and more)
• A culture of supporting each other's most ambitious goals

📝 Application Process

Simple 2-Minute Application

Apply online in minutes. Rolling admissions mean you can apply anytime, but earlier is better for best chances.

Who Should Apply

Anyone with a bold idea—startups, researchers, builders, creators, and those pursuing nontraditional paths.

Selection

Soma seeks high-potential individuals who want to build something significant, regardless of background or credentials.

🚀 Program Mission

Soma Scholars exists to enable the next generation of world-changing builders. The program is designed for those who want to:

• Become an expert in a field
• Solve hard technical or scientific problems
• Write impactful research
• Prove a breakthrough in mathematics
• Launch a pioneering company or fund
• Build new technologies (AI, chips, biotech, etc.)
• Pursue ambitious, unconventional projects

✨ Why Soma Scholars?

• No equity, no strings attached: Keep full ownership of your work
• World-class support: Access to Soma's resources, offices, and founder community
• Unrivaled network: Direct connections to top founders, investors, and industry leaders
• Track record: Soma has seeded 30+ unicorns and has a proven history of supporting generational talent

🎯 Ready to Build?

If you have a wild idea and the ambition to see it through, Soma Scholars is your launchpad. Apply now—it takes just 2 minutes, and rolling admissions mean the sooner you apply, the better your chances.