Student Fellows Program
Jumpstarting future business leaders.
Our Student Fellows track includes programming, networks, and support to accelerate the launch of your career as a serial entrepreneur.
Program Background
A second decade of hands-on experience.
Founded in 2008, the .406 Fellows program was the first program of its kind and is still a unique opportunity for student entrepreneurs to build real-world skills and a tight-knit network of fellows and alumni. During the two-year program designed to support company-builders, each fellow will build strong relationships with their cohort of about 10 fellows as well as the cohort in front of and behind them. In addition, they will meet and learn from a curated group of leading practitioners and participate in the building process.
Nearly all fellows are currently in the process of starting a company, enabling them to truly take advantage of what the program has to offer.
With students at the undergraduate and graduate level from institutions including:
Fellows have launched successful companies and raised $1.5B for their startups including:
Our alumni hold leadership roles at:
Program Benefits
Real-world skills for successful companies.
Networking
Build a strong network with a hand-selected group of promising entrepreneurs from leading universities including a growing network of 130+ fellowship alumni from over 16 years of the program.
Key Learnings
Through the fellowship’s educational modules, learn about critical entrepreneurial and fundraising topics taught by top entrepreneurial practitioners.
First-Hand Experience
Participate in two day-long summits annually with the .406 team and world-class subject matter experts specializing in marketing, sales, engineering, product management, finance, team building, and more.
Unique Access
Through the Student Fellows investment committee and due diligence process, learn about how investors find, diligence, and approve investments.
Qualifications and Role
What We’re Looking For
- Founders looking to build strong networks and learn from leading industry practitioners how to build successful companies
- Entrepreneurs must be actively working on a company and be able to engage in the community offered by the program
- At least two more years left in school as a student (either at undergraduate, master’s, PhD/MD level)
Fellowship Expectations
- Participate in semi-monthly virtual meetings covering industry trends, visits from founders, and discussion of fellows’ startups
- Travel to Boston twice a year for fellows summit
- Represent .406 Ventures on your campus
Graduate Reflections
Hear from our alumni.
The .406 Fellowship connected me with an inspiring community of mission-driven entrepreneurs and helped hone my skillsets for healthcare innovation. The experience sharpened my thinking around startup strategy and gave me the tools to navigate early-stage challenges with confidence.”
“The .406 Fellowship was easily the most influential part of my college experience. It taught me how to think deeper about companies and markets, introduced me to life-long friends, and gave me the confidence to pursue my startup full time. Now, as an alum, I get a ton of value out of staying in touch with the friends I met and also engaging with the current class of fellows.”
– Jimmy McDermott, Founder, Rubie, Class X
“The .406 fellowship put me in a strong position to raise venture money & ultimately go through an M&A acquisition at Ciitizen. Thanks to the .406 Fellowship, I had the orientation to not be intimidated by the fundraising process and be able to more actively negotiate for favorable terms.”
– Sophia Cornew Gregory, Partnerships, Invitae, Class IX
Class XVII (Fall 2025 Start)
Jumpstart your entrepreneurial career as part of our next cohort.
Applications open each February for the following fall’s start and close in early September.