Antler explained: the residency, investment terms, and locations

By GrantSnap team · Published 2026-10-31 · guide

The Antler home page in October 2026 — Antler's home page, captured 31 October 2026.

Antler is a venture firm that invests at day zero, meaning before a company exists or when it is only an idea and a founding team. Individuals and small teams join a residency in a city, build and test an idea there, and pitch Antler for investment. As of 31 October 2026, Antler's home page describes it as a global early-stage VC, and its locations page lists offices across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East and Africa.

The terms are not the same everywhere. Singapore and Tokyo publish a $150,000 deal for 10% equity, London publishes sterling terms with a programme fee, Bangalore publishes an Indian rupee cheque for 11%, and the US page gives a range without equity. This guide sets out what each official page says, so you can check the location you would apply to.

How the residency works

Antler describes the residency as an in-person, full-time stage in a city. You work on an idea, meet Antler's partners, and the investment decision comes after or during that stage. The Singapore page describes a 6 week, full-time, in-person residency and says it condenses about six months of work into six weeks. The Tokyo page gives the same 6 week format, with a focus on building a product, finding early users, global go-to-market strategy and the fundraising pitch.

Individuals can join. The London page describes two tracks: complete teams, which take about 6 weeks with an immediate start, and solo or incomplete teams, which take up to 8 weeks with a set start date. It lists co-founder matching among its support. The US page says residents may work alone or with co-founders, and describes a residency of up to 3 months, with monthly invitations and applications reviewed year-round.

After the residency, founders pitch Antler's investment committee. The London page describes a build-and-raise phase of 10 to 12 weeks after an investment, and the US page says portfolio founders can keep working from Antler's office space.

Investment and equity terms by location

The pages differ by region, and some differ internally, so read the page for your city. These are the terms as published on 31 October 2026.

Singapore and Tokyo each state $150,000 for 10% equity, plus an additional equity amount fixed at your next funding round. The breakdown on both pages is $100,000 for 10% equity after the residency and $50,000 through an uncapped SAFE with a Most Favored Nation clause. Both say Antler commits 50% of the amount raised in the next institutional round, up to $250K, and that Antler Elevate can invest up to $25M later. Both say there is no participation fee. Tokyo's page headlines $400k at inception, which includes that matching amount, so only the $150,000 is cash you receive first.

London's page states £210K at inception, made up of £125K for 8.5% equity and an £85K convertible note, up to £330K more in the next round, and a separate £40K programme fee. It also says up to £500K at inception. The page does not say how these figures reconcile, so ask Antler before you rely on any one number.

The Bangalore page states INR 4Cr (about $470K) for 11% equity in its AI Residency, while its FAQ says up to about $425K for 11%. The US page gives an initial commitment of $500K to $1M and does not state equity. None of the pages fetched state a stipend. Singapore and Tokyo say founders pay their own travel and living costs, and the Bangalore FAQ mentions a one-time INR 2L expense grant.

Locations and cohort dates

Antler's locations page lists Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam in Asia Pacific. In Europe it lists the UK, continental Europe and the Nordic countries. In the Americas it lists Brazil, Canada and the US, and in the Middle East and Africa it lists the Gulf region, Kenya and Nigeria.

Antler's cohort start dates page, as of 31 October 2026, shows Tokyo starting on 2 November 2026, Australia on 8 February 2027, Nigeria and Korea on 15 March 2027, and Kenya on 22 March 2027. It shows rolling intake for Canada, the US and the Nordic countries. It says the dates are start dates, not deadlines, and it lists no application deadlines.

The Singapore page gave 5 October 2026 and the London page gave a September 2026 start for their latest residencies. Both have passed. The Bangalore page says its next residency will be announced soon. GrantSnap's catalog had no Antler listing on 31 October 2026, so the next cohort dates come from antler.co and should be checked there.

Who Antler looks for and how selection works

Antler says it is industry-agnostic and backs founders first. The Singapore and Tokyo pages say teams must already be working on an idea and be able to explain the problem, the ideal customer, what they have tested, what they learned and what they will test next. A polished product is not required. Both require full-time, in-person presence.

The London page describes outliers with drive, grit and commitment, and says founders need the UK right to work or an active visa application by the first interview. The US page says at least one co-founder must already have work authorisation, and that Antler does not provide visa sponsorship. The Tokyo page says the same about visas and mentions a paid third-party agency.

The pages give different figures for selectivity. Singapore says fewer than 3% make it in, Tokyo says fewer than 5% of applicants are selected, and London says fewer than 1% are admitted. The Bangalore FAQ says Antler endeavours to invest in 50 to 75% of the teams that join, which describes teams already in the residency, not applicants.

The Tokyo page lists three steps: submit an application, have an in-depth conversation about your team, ambition and VC-backable potential, and receive a decision within 2 to 3 weeks. The Singapore page describes an AI-guided conversation of about 30 minutes, a PDF pitch deck under 20MB, a 15 minute call and then a virtual call with partners.

Investment is not guaranteed after you join. The Bangalore FAQ says so directly. The London page says the investment decision is made during the residency, and the US page describes a pitch to the investment committee before any commitment.

What the application asks

Antler's pitch page, as of 31 October 2026, has a short investment form. It asks for your name, email and an optional LinkedIn profile. It asks your stage, with two options: idea to pre-seed, or Series A to C seeking scale-up capital. It then asks your region and a city from that region, and has an optional consent box for updates.

That form does not ask for a deck or a long business description. The longer requirements appear on the location pages. Singapore asks for the AI-guided conversation and a PDF pitch deck, and the Tokyo process leads to an in-depth conversation. Prepare plain answers to the five points above: problem, customer, tests, learning and next test.

The pitch page also has a separate Antler Elevate form for later-stage companies, with an optional deck upload of up to 10MB. It is not the route for day-zero founders.

What happens if you are not funded

The pages say little. The London FAQ says founders who are not invested in remain in the Antler community, with events, perks and the chance to reapply or join portfolio companies. The page does not say whether the £40K programme fee is refundable, so confirm that before you apply.

The Bangalore page says about 50% of its investments have been made outside the residency, and it describes no support path for unfunded teams. If you move to a city for a residency, budget for the possibility of no cheque, since Singapore and Tokyo say you pay your own travel and living costs.

Common mistakes

Reading the headline as cash. The Singapore and Tokyo pages show $400k at inception, but the money at the start is $100,000 plus a $50,000 SAFE, and the $250K match depends on a later round.

Applying with no tests behind the idea. The pages ask what you have tested and learned, so hold some customer conversations first.

Ignoring work authorisation. London, the US and Tokyo all state visa requirements or no sponsorship.

Assuming one region's terms apply to another. Equity runs from 8.5% to 11% across the pages above, and the US page gives none.

Treating start dates as deadlines. Antler says its dates are start dates and encourages applicants to apply early.

Where GrantSnap fits

GrantSnap tracks live funding calls like this one, drafts answers from your profile, and fills the funder's form in Chrome. You review every answer before you submit. Antler had no listing in GrantSnap's catalog on 31 October 2026, so use antler.co for current dates and terms.

Common questions

Does Antler invest in individuals without a team?

The London page describes a track for solo or incomplete teams, and the US page says solo founders are welcome. The London FAQ also says it does not invest in solo founders, so confirm the position for your location.

How much equity does Antler take?

It depends on the location. Singapore and Tokyo state 10% for $100,000 plus an uncapped SAFE, London states 8.5% for £125K plus a convertible note, and Bangalore states 11%. The US page does not state equity.

Does Antler pay a stipend?

None of the Antler pages fetched on 31 October 2026 state a stipend. Singapore and Tokyo say founders cover their own travel and living costs.

Is there a fee to join?

Singapore and Tokyo say there is no participation fee, and the US FAQ says the residency has no joining fee. London lists a separate £40K programme fee, so check the page for your city.

Where do I find the next cohort dates?

Antler publishes them at antler.co/cohort-start-dates. GrantSnap's catalog had no Antler listing on 31 October 2026, so check that page directly.

Sources

Antler home page (accessed 2026-10-31)
Antler locations (accessed 2026-10-31)
Antler cohort start dates (accessed 2026-10-31)
Antler pitch and application page (accessed 2026-10-31)
Antler Singapore (accessed 2026-10-31)
Antler Japan (accessed 2026-10-31)
Antler India (accessed 2026-10-31)
Antler UK (accessed 2026-10-31)
Antler US (accessed 2026-10-31)

Checked Antler's home, locations, cohort start dates, pitch, Singapore, Japan, India, UK and US pages on 31 October 2026; GrantSnap's catalog had no Antler listing on that date.

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