Gainers · gainers.app

Founder HQ

One place for everything: funding you can apply to now, how to launch & get press, where to find real users and watch them, Ukrainian programs, and showcases.

Updated 21 Jul 2026 · ✓ = verified · +worldwide sweep in Funding & Competitions · tabs below

Name: GainersSite: gainers.app Founder: Andrii Shpak (solo, 🇺🇦, London) Demo: app.gainers.app · review@gainers.app · 924753 Stack: Mongo Atlas · Deepgram · LiveKit · TTS · RevenueCat

🔴 Deadlines — decide now

closing in days/weeks

Program	You get	Deadline	Company	Status
Y Combinator ✓	$500k	27 Jul	no	✅ submitted
South Park Commons ✓	$1M	2 Aug	no	✅ submitted
Entrepreneur First (London) ✓	£6k + up to $250k	4 Aug	no	in progress
HF0 Residency	up to $1M / 5%	~1 Aug	no	in progress
UnLtd Award (social)	grant £8k–£18k	31 Aug	no	to do
AI Grant — Batch 4	$250k + ~$600k credits	open	no	to do
MIT Solve	$100–150k non-dilutive	open 2026	no	to do
Twilio AI Searchlight ✓	$5–10k + $2.5k OpenAI	11 Sep	no	to do

💻 Cloud & AI credits — grab today

self-serve · no company

Program	You get	Note	Status
Deepgram ✓	up to $100k STT	your stack ✦	✅ applied
MongoDB for Startups ✓	$5k Atlas	your stack ✦	to do
Microsoft Founders Hub ✓	$1k → $150k + Azure OpenAI	instant start	to do
Cloudflare ✓	$10k	no funding min	to do
AWS Activate ✓	$1–5k	@domain email	to do
Google Cloud (Start)	$2k Vertex/Gemini	fix @domain email	to do
Apple Small Business	IAP 30%→15%	enroll anytime	✅ enrolling
ElevenLabs Grants	~$4k / 33M chars	⚠ footer logo	to do

🚀 Accelerators · UK · 🇺🇦 · after Ltd

rolling / later

Program	You get	Company
Antler (London) ✓	£4k + ~£210k	no
Z Fellows ✓	$10k · 1 week	no
Start Up Loans (BBB)	£500–25k + mentor	no
King's Trust Enterprise	£5k grant +£25k loan	no
Emergent Ventures	non-dilutive micro-grant	no
Bethnal Green Ventures	~£30k · tech-for-good	Ltd
NVIDIA Inception	GPU perks + credits	Ltd
Innovate UK Smart Grants	£25k–£500k	Ltd

🌍 Worldwide sweep — verified 21 Jul 2026. A 24-agent scan of grants, fellowships, open-application VCs and angel platforms a solo, pre-incorporation founder can apply to now. Every row below was adversarially re-checked. (Dropped as false/closed: Innovate UK Young Innovators — discontinued; Hult Prize — students-only.)

🌍 Grants & fellowships — no company

non-dilutive · rolling / watch-list

Program	You get	Window	Status
Cosmos Institute Grants ✓	$1k–$10k+	rolling	best fit ✦
Roddenberry Catalyst Fund ✓	$2.5k–$15k	always-open	no · keep IP
Awesome Foundation ✓	$1k no-strings	monthly	✅ filled
1517 Fund — Medici ✓	$1k no-strings	rolling (email a partner)	no
The Pollination Project ✓	up to $1k	awarded daily	mental-health area
nayafia/microgrants (directory) ✓	$50–$5k × dozens	evergreen list	batch-apply
NLnet — NGI Zero Commons ✓	up to €50k	reopens ~autumn 2026	needs OSS part
ACX Grants ✓	$1k–$100k	watch late-2026	watch-list
O'Shaughnessy Fellowship ✓	$100k equity-free	reopens ~early 2027	watch-list

🌍 Venture builders & programs

back INDIVIDUALS · no company / co-founder

Program	You get	Window	Note
Zinc Venture Builder (London) ✓	£13.2k stipend + up to ~£300k	cohort — register interest	mental-health / behaviour missions ✦
AI2 Incubator (Seattle) ✓	up to $600k + ~$1M compute	rolling — apply anytime	AI-native; US relocation to close
TERN — Refugee Network 🇺🇦 ✓	incubation + grant-writing help	STEP Ukraine (rolling)	built for Ukrainians in the UK ✦
500 Global ✓	~$150k (up to ~$500k)	regional cohorts	open apply, no intro
MassChallenge ✓	zero-equity cash awards	watch ~Jan 2027	no incorporation to apply

🌍 Open-apply VCs & angel platforms

cold door · no warm intro · apply pre-Ltd

Fund / platform	You get	Region	Note
SMOK Ventures ✓	€100k–€1M	CEE	🇺🇦/CEE diaspora; replies to every email ✦
TA Ventures / iClub 🇺🇦 ✓	$50k–$500k	🇺🇦 + diaspora	pitch TA → 6,000-member syndicate ✦
GoAhead Ventures ✓	$200k–$1M	Global	~6-day decision; video pitch, refuses warm intros
Hustle Fund ✓	$50k–$750k	Global	public cold form; loves capital-efficient solos
Precursor Ventures ✓	$250k–$500k	US	reads every submission; backs outsiders
Character.vc ✓	up to $2M	US	consumer-AI; runs a product sprint with you
Fuel Ventures (London) ✓	£100k–£1M+	UK	public "submit pitch"; OK with Ltd forming
firstminute capital ✓	£1M–£3M	UK	London; accepts cold decks (bigger check)
Cavalry Ventures ✓	€0.5M–€3M	Europe	Berlin; inbound decks; needs early metrics
OpenVC (platform) ✓	pitch 20k+ investors, free	Global	build profile today; see who reads your deck
NFX Signal (platform) ✓	free warm-intro paths	Global	connect Gmail → strongest routes to any VC
Gust (platform) ✓	one profile → many angel groups	Global	intake system 100s of groups use
Keiretsu Forum (London) ✓	free apply + present	Global	world's largest angel network; London chapter
Angel Investment Network ✓	post a pitch, free	Global	300k+ investors; wide net (noisy)

📘 Open the full Launch Playbook →

Your Launch Playbook (press kit, ready-to-send emails, press release, 14-day sequence, full directory lists) lives at launch.gainers.website. Below are the highest-leverage places to hit, in order.

🏁 Launch directories (free spikes)

Where	What you get	How
Product Hunt	#1 free spike — users + press	make a "Coming Soon" first → launch Tue–Thu, rally at 00:01 PT
Hacker News — Show HN	technical audience	lead with the AI-voice-call-on-locked-iPhone story
BetaList	early adopters	submit; pre-launch friendly
Indie Hackers	makers + feedback	post your solo build story
Uneed · Fazier · Peerlist	PH alternatives	extra launch-day reach
App Store — nominate for featuring ✓	Apple editorial (Today / New Apps We Love)	nominate via App Store Connect — pitch the AI-calls-you angle
Apple Ads — Basic	top-of-search, pay-per-install	cheap fast installs after launch
Launching Next	evergreen directory + backlink	stays Google-indexed

📰 Press & newsletters to pitch

Outlet	Angle
EU-Startups	Ukrainian solo founder, London — easy submit form
Sifted · UKTN · Maddyness UK	European/UK tech press — diaspora + AI voice hook
TechCrunch tip line	"AI coach that phones you" is a strong hook
HARO / Featured (journalist requests)	free PR — answer reporter queries in your niche

Two goals here: get real users and watch how they use it. ⚠️ Most communities ban blatant self-promo — participate genuinely + use their weekly "share your project" threads.

👁️ Watch how people use it

Tool	What it gives	Cost
PostHog	session replays + funnels — literally see where users drop	free tier
Maze · UserTesting	moderated task-based tests	freemium/paid

🧪 Recruit testers & your audience

Where	Who	Note
r/getdisciplined · r/selfimprovement · r/decidingtobebetter	your exact target users	participate first; use "feedback/tester" posts where allowed
r/TestFlight · r/alphaandbetausers · r/TestMyApp	beta testers	post your TestFlight public link
Betabound (Centercode) ✓	free listing to volunteer testers by category (productivity / self-improvement)	announce your beta free
BetaList	early adopters + email signups	⚠ paid ~$39 to submit
Accountability Discord servers	discipline/habits communities — live feedback + testers	join, be useful, then share
r/SideProject · Indie Hackers	makers who test + give feedback	build-in-public posts do well

Your diaspora-founder story — "Ukrainian solo founder in London built an AI coach that calls you" — is a genuinely strong, press-friendly hook. Lead with it everywhere.

📣 Ukrainian media — free PR

Outlet	You get	How
AIN.ua — Startup of the Day ✓	#1 UA tech media (EN+UA) — free feature	email a short pitch + one-pager; or a guest column
SPEKA — Spilnota ✓	self-publish, no moderation, ~365k reach	register as author → build-in-public series
Vector · dev.ua	creative-economy / IT-business media	pitch a founder-interview angle

🤝 Ukrainian founder network & showcases

Program	You get	Note
London Tech Community (UA) ✓	local London Ukrainian scene — meetups + Telegram	⭐ face-to-face network + friendly testers
UAtech Association + Venture Night ✓	diaspora founder community + pitch side-events	⭐ individual membership, no company
TechUkraine ✓	Portal features + Team-Ukraine delegations (CES, VivaTech, LTW)	submit your startup/news
UK–Ukraine TechBridge	UK-market pathway + investor office hours (London)	gov-backed, run by Blue Lake
Startup Grind (Kyiv + London)	free monthly founder events + mentorship	join both chapters
USF · Diia.Business	events/demo days · gov consultations	funding tracks need UA-registered co

Pitch competitions = big audience + press + sometimes prizes. Most accept solo/pre-company founders. Enter for visibility even if you don't win.

🏆 Showcases with big audiences

Event	What you get	Note
Slush 100 (Helsinki, 18–19 Nov)	Europe's most-watched early-stage comp	you already have a Slush profile
Web Summit — ALPHA + PITCH	exhibit + pitch to 70k+ + press	ALPHA passes for early stage
TechCrunch — Battlefield 200	most solo-friendly US big stage	exhibit at Disrupt SF
Startup World Cup — Ukraine 🇺🇦	national round → SV finals ($1M)	UA finalist = dev.ua coverage
EU-Startups Summit (Malta)	15 finalists pitch to EU investors	from ~1,600 applicants
GITEX Supernova (Dubai, Dec)	one of the biggest pitch stages	investors + audience
4YFN Awards @ MWC · App Store Awards	mobile/app stage + €20k prize	good for a mobile app
Product Hunt — Orbit Awards · Seedstars	quarterly recognition · emerging-market comp	launch strong first

🌍 More pitch comps — no company to apply

verified 21 Jul · equity-free cash / investment

Event	Prize	Window	Note
The Pitch by Deel ✓	$1M SAFE + $50k×100	2027 waitlist open	London heat; no incorp. to apply ✦
Latitude59 (Tallinn) ✓	€400k+ pool	apps ~early 2027	"stands with Ukraine", bars RU/BY ✦
TechChill Founders Battle (Riga) ✓	€10k equity-free	apps ~autumn 2026	CEE-eligible via 🇺🇦 tie; no RU/BY
sTARTUp Day (Tartu) ✓	€10k + up to €350k	deadline ~mid-Dec 2026	sector-agnostic, early-stage
Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge ✓	€100k equity-free	2027 opens ~autumn 2026	frame as behavioural-AI/voice tech
Seedstars World 🇺🇦 ✓	up to $500k	local comps May–Nov	enter via the Ukraine/CEE track

✓ verified no no company needed Ltd needs the company date deadline soon ✅ done / in progress ✦ = your stack

Gainers Founder HQ · funding + launch + verified Ukrainian / launch / user-testing / competition research, merged · 21 Jul 2026 worldwide sweep (24-agent scan, adversarially verified) added to Funding & Competitions · reconfirm on each site before relying.