Hackers/Founders is a community of tech founders that fosters collaboration, business growth, and connection among individuals with bold ideas. Our HQ is in Silicon Valley.
Key people at Hackers and Founders.
Hackers/Founders (often styled H/F) is a global community and ecosystem builder for technology founders, not a traditional investment firm. Its mission is to reduce the isolation and friction of startup life by connecting founders with peers, mentors, investors, and resources across a distributed network of local chapters. While it has evolved to include investment vehicles and research initiatives, its core identity is that of a founder-first, community-driven platform that strengthens local tech ecosystems by exporting Silicon Valley–style collaboration and knowledge at scale.
Hackers/Founders operates through three main pillars: local meetup chapters that serve as founder hubs in cities worldwide, an accelerator/“uncubator” model that sources and supports startups via crowd-scored selection, and H/F Research, which conducts applied scientific research to help tech companies make better decisions. It focuses on early-stage tech entrepreneurs across sectors like SaaS, fintech, AI, and developer tools, and has played a notable role in democratizing access to Silicon Valley–style networks beyond the Bay Area.
Hackers/Founders was founded in 2008 by Jonathan Nelson, a serial entrepreneur and community builder with a background in digital media and startup strategy. The idea emerged from Nelson’s observation that while Silicon Valley thrived on dense networks of founders, investors, and engineers, most startup ecosystems elsewhere lacked those same connective tissues. He set out to create a global, decentralized community where founders could find peer support, co-founders, early customers, and capital—no matter where they were based.
Starting with in-person meetups in Silicon Valley, Hackers/Founders quickly expanded into a worldwide network, with locally organized chapters in dozens of cities across six continents. Over time, the organization layered on new capabilities: an accelerator program (the “Uncubator”), an investor co-op, and later H/F Research, which leverages data from its network of over 300,000 companies to generate actionable insights for founders. This evolution reflects a shift from a pure meetup group to a full-stack founder ecosystem player.
Hackers/Founders is riding the long-term trend of startup globalization and the decentralization of innovation. As more tech hubs emerge outside traditional centers like Silicon Valley, London, or New York, there’s growing demand for proven community models, founder support structures, and access to global networks. H/F fills that gap by acting as a “network layer” for founders, enabling knowledge transfer and collaboration across borders.
The timing is particularly favorable as remote work, digital tools, and global capital flows have made it easier than ever for startups to launch and scale from anywhere. At the same time, founder burnout and isolation remain widespread, making community-based support more valuable than ever. By focusing on connection, research, and ecosystem development, H/F influences the broader landscape by lowering the barriers to startup success and helping to level the playing field for founders around the world.
Looking ahead, Hackers/Founders is well-positioned to deepen its role as a global infrastructure layer for founders. As more regions build out their startup ecosystems, demand for proven community blueprints, data-driven insights, and cross-border connections will only grow. H/F could expand its research offerings into a standalone SaaS-like product for founders, or further formalize its accelerator and fund vehicles to capture more direct upside from the startups it helps launch.
The future may also see H/F evolve into a hybrid model: part community platform, part research lab, and part venture ecosystem operator. If it continues to prioritize founder value over pure financial returns, it has the potential to become one of the most influential non-traditional players in the global startup ecosystem—one that shapes how founders connect, learn, and grow, no matter where they start.
Key people at Hackers and Founders.
