Stan Launches 14 Day Founder Competition

Stan has announced Launchpad, a 14-day competition for 100 early-stage software and AI founders, with a $100,000 prize. The program runs October 4 to 19, 2026, at a private camp in the Poconos, about two hours from New York City. Roughly 30 teams will live and build together, with mentorship, masterclasses, elimination rounds and a closing Demo Day for actively investing firms. The program will also be filmed as a documentary competition series.

Building Distribution In Public

Launchpad brings founders together to turn ideas into companies while building awareness around what they are making. Participants will receive ongoing mentorship from Stan co-founders Vitalii Dodonov and John Hu, and will use Stan’s content tool, Stanley, to document their progress, develop content and share what they are building with a wider audience.

“Building is easy. Distribution is hard. You can build the best product in your category and still lose to someone who started building an audience a year earlier. Building in public is how founders build distribution before they need it, and it's what we will be teaching at Launchpad.”

Mentors And Demo Day

The program includes sessions from Gary Vaynerchuk, chairman of VaynerX and CEO of VaynerMedia; Zach Yadegari, co-founder of Cal AI and founder of Flow; Sophia Amoruso, founder and managing partner of Trust Fund and founder of Nasty Gal; and Brandon Bryant, co-founder and partner at Harlem Capital.

Founders will compete for the $100,000 prize during the program, which ends with a Demo Day in front of investing firms. The documentary series will follow the experience from the camp through the competition.

“A handful of people bet on me before there was anything to bet on. That is the only reason Stan exists. Launchpad is our turn to make that bet on a hundred other founders.”

Who Can Apply

Launchpad is open to early-stage software and AI founders. Applications are open through September 25, 2026, at the Launchpad website.