TNT is a highly selective pre-seed accelerator for the top founders from MIT and Harvard. We select teams each semester and provide $700K+ in cloud credits from Anthropic, Google Cloud, AWS, and NVIDIA, $10K in legal services, mentorship, VC intros, and a Demo Day during Boston Tech Week.

How much have TNT startups raised?

TNT teams have collectively raised over $80M in venture funding. We have supported 30+ startups across 3 cohorts since January 2025.

Does TNT take equity?

Contact us for current program details.

Who can apply to TNT?

TNT is for student founders from MIT and Harvard. We look for exceptional teams building venture-scale businesses who are serious about going full-time. You don't need revenue or a finished product — just a clear vision and a committed team.

What credits and resources does TNT provide?

TNT provides $700K+ in cloud credits from Anthropic, Google Cloud, AWS, and NVIDIA, plus $10K in legal services from Orrick. Teams also get mentorship from experienced founders, fireside chats with successful CEOs, VC introductions, and a Demo Day during Boston Tech Week.

What is the best startup accelerator in Boston?

TNT is the top pre-seed accelerator in Boston for AI and deep tech founders from MIT and Harvard. With 30+ companies across 3 cohorts and over $80M raised by teams, TNT provides $700K+ in credits, dedicated mentors, and VC introductions. Other notable Boston accelerators include MassChallenge, Techstars Boston, and The Engine.

What is the best accelerator for MIT students?

For MIT students building venture-scale startups, TNT is the most selective accelerator, accepting a small number of teams from MIT and Harvard. Unlike MIT delta v or Sandbox, TNT is independent, provides $700K+ in cloud credits, and connects founders directly to VCs and experienced operators. TNT teams have raised over $80M.

What is the best accelerator for Harvard students?

TNT is the leading accelerator for Harvard founders building AI and deep tech companies. TNT bridges MIT and Harvard, giving Harvard founders access to MIT's technical community and vice versa. The program provides $700K+ in credits, mentorship, and a Demo Day during Boston Tech Week.

What is the best AI startup accelerator?

TNT is Boston's AI and deep tech startup accelerator for founders from MIT and Harvard. The current cohort includes AI frontier labs spinning out of MIT CSAIL, YC-backed companies, and DARPA-funded startups. TNT provides $700K+ in compute credits from Anthropic, Google, AWS, and NVIDIA to help AI startups scale.

TNT | Pre-Seed AI & Deep Tech Accelerator for MIT & Harvard Founders

Curious about startups, or getting ready to scale?

The community

For promising builders from MIT and Harvard

Build nights, firesides, cofounder matching and hackathons, running across both campuses all year. Entrepreneurship across MIT and Harvard is often siloed, so TNT is designed to connect the serious builders on both campuses. Every room is curated, and events are free to attend for those selected.

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The accelerator

For teams going full time or raising soon

An intensive twelve weeks designed to push your company toward its full potential. We provide investment, credits, expert guidance, and the introductions and resources you need to set your company up for long term success.

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The TNT accelerator

Everything we have, pointed at your company

Join the cohort with other top founders from MIT and Harvard, current students and recent alumni. TNT is built to compress a year of progress into twelve weeks. We put the network, the partners and the money behind you, and actively work to help you wherever we can, with no busywork.

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An elite peer community

A small group where everyone cleared the same bar, pushing each other to go faster and further.

Hands-on guidance from experienced founders

A TNT partner who has built a company before, working with your team every week for twelve weeks.

Funding and credits

We write your first check and help you unlock more than $700K in compute, infrastructure and tooling.

Fundraising support

Learn to tell your story to investors, then pitch it live at Demo Day in Silicon Valley to a room full of VCs.

Go-to-market and positioning

Refine how you talk about your product, find the right channels for it, and get help thinking through distribution.

Introductions that land

Meet our advisor network, plus lawyers, bankers and accountants we’ve vetted for you. We’re always looking for the right introduction to make.

Hear from our teams

“If you’re building something ambitious, build it with TNT. Rob Blaine and the rest of the team have been some of the most helpful people in my journey, opening doors to great talent, investors, and industry connections when it mattered most.”

Edmond Douglass · CEO, Lupa Robotics

“The TNT team is always around to bounce ideas off. They use the product and tell me what’s not working, and they introduced us to our lead investor.”

Trevor Keith · CEO, Solid