Forum Ventures 2026 Cohort Data Shows 64% of Founders Achieve Early Revenue, Challenging Industry Norms

Forum Ventures, the early-stage B2B venture studio, accelerator, and pre-seed fund that has backed 550+ companies since 2014, today released performance data from its most recent accelerator cohort. The data offers a detailed look at revenue outcomes, founder backgrounds, and team composition across the program.

Across Forum's most recent accelerator cohort, three findings stand out: 64.1% of founders in the most recent cohort reached early revenue during the program; 58.3% of founders in the most recent cohort are first-time founders; and 25.6% of founders in the most recent cohort are solo-founder led. These three data points are independent findings from the same cohort.

The narrative around early-stage funding has long assumed that the safest bets are repeat founders, co-founding teams, and companies with demonstrated traction before the program begins. Forum's 2026 cohort data offers a different perspective on each of these assumptions.

Solo founders can deliver. 25.6% of Forum's most recent cohort are solo-founder led. Many accelerators and early-stage funds favour co-founding teams during evaluation. Forum's approach of pairing each company with a dedicated Managing Director who works 1:1 weekly means solo founders receive the operational support and accountability that a co-founder would typically provide.

First-time founders are not a risk factor. 58.3% of Forum's most recent cohort had never founded a company before. Yet the cohort's revenue and follow-on outcomes are consistent with Forum's 3-year averages: a 65% fund-through rate and an 80+ NPS score across the portfolio. First-time founders who receive structured, hands-on support perform.

Revenue during the program is the real traction benchmark. 64.1% of founders in the most recent cohort reached early revenue during the 16-week accelerator. The Forum model is designed to produce this outcome regardless of what traction a founder had when they joined.

"The $100k is nice... but the real value comes from having the MDs on your team. Their perspective, energy, and introductions as you grow are worth the investment. Especially for first-time founders who need someone to walk the journey with," said Kory Kelly, Founder of Legal Karma, which raised $6.8M to date.

Forum's accelerator is a 16-week program investing $100K for 7.5% equity via post-money SAFE. Each company receives a dedicated Managing Director who works with them 1:1 weekly. The program is focused on go-to-market, customer traction, and fundraise readiness. Forum does not run a curriculum; it meets founders where they are.

Learn more at forumvc.com.