Where young mavericks build the future
Mavericks: Not afraid to take risks, question the status quo, and pursue groundbreaking ideas that could lead to major innovations and transformations.
If you’ve ever felt out of place in a world that values conformity over curiosity, welcome. You’ve found your place.
Most people are content to follow the rules and climb the ladder. FR8 is for those who won’t accept the world as it is. It’s for the restless, the nerds, the scientists and the problem-solvers who see what could be instead of settling for what already exists.
FR8 is for those who are frustrated. Frustrated with a system that discourages risk-taking. A system that doesn’t celebrate people willing to bet everything on their ideas. A system that tells you what to build and what to research.
We’re frustrated too. That’s why we created FR8: a place where you can immerse yourself into your craziest ideas and focus on your true interests.
Concretely:
We, a small group of dropouts, are running the world’s first-ever hacker hotel, startup incubator, and research lab — all combined into one.
We bring together the smartest young technical mavericks from all around the globe and give them a chance to go all-in on their craziest ideas.
Here’s what we offer:
- Accommodation and food, your own hotel room and startup-style 5-star service fully covered for the whole duration of the program. No financial barriers.
- We cover your flights back and forth.
- A community built around high standards, curiosity, and interest in solving complex problems.
- A program tailored to help with your biggest bottlenecks, stay accountable and maintain focus.
- Access to our network of founders, investors, professors, companies, and industry experts. We’ll connect you with the right people who can actually help you.
- Tools: Credits, 3D printers, soldering equipment, electronic components, access to CNC machines, and more.
- We use around $20,000 per participant. This means covering everything from living expenses to flights and so on. This amount comes with no equity exchanged.
- We do fully optional early-stage investments.
We’re here to do everything we can to help you turn your ideas into reality and build something from 0 to 1.
Who are we looking for?
People ready to go all in on their craziest ideas.
If you’ve built things from scratch, obsess over specific technologies, fall down Wikipedia rabbit holes, feel like you don’t quite fit the system, or want to push your limits and go all in, you might be exactly who we’re looking for. If you wake up every day with a burning need to create, solve, and learn, we want to know more about you.
- Mostly people under 30.
- Technical talent working on software, hardware, or deep-tech. If you have a non-technical background, you must apply as part of a team with a technical member.
- People driven by a hunger for progress, not for money or status, but for growth, innovation, and creation.
- We welcome solo founders, but we prefer teams.
What do we believe in?
- First-principles thinking: Question everything, break it down, and build from the ground up.
- Rules are made up by people.
- Techno-optimism: Technology can solve humanity’s toughest problems.
- Results over ideas. Execution is everything.
- Building what people love.
- Deep work > shallow work.
Our values
- Kindness: We have a strict no-assholes policy.
- Significance: If you’re here to cash out with a quick B2B SaaS exit, look elsewhere.
- Hard work and focus.
- Craziness: The kind that sparks bold ideas.
- Maverick spirit: Follow your own path and intuition.
- Builders, nerds, and visionaries: You are our people.
Location
We're located on the Aalto University campus in Finland.
Cohort 2.s
Cohort 2.s starts on January 31, 2026, and runs until April 30, 2026.
Applications for the next cohort are now closed.
To express interest in the next cohort, you can still email us at admin@fr8.so
Let us know about your background and the idea you want to go all in on.
FAQ
Can I take classes or work on other jobs while at FR8?
No. FR8 is only for those ready to go truly all in.
How is FR8 different from other startup incubators/accelerators?
We focus on technical talent and people with crazy and risky ideas. We also accept researchers. We don’t take equity, unless you choose to raise funding from us. We don't have a rigid curriculum. Instead, we give residents the freedom to focus on building, shipping and doing research. We set high standards and we invest all of our resources in our members.
Do you help with visas? Does it matter where I'm from?
Yes. We don’t care where you’re from, FR8 is fully global. In our first two cohorts alone, people from 20 countries have already called FR8 home.
Why did you start FR8?
One of us dreamed of building an asteroid mining company but realized that our society doesn’t encourage such bold endeavors. FR8 exists to change that, to celebrate and support the people willing to take risks and chase the impossible.
Questions left? Reach out to us at admin@fr8.so
