"Focal created an environment that pushes you to think from first principles, move with intensity, and become venture-ready MUCH faster than you would on your own."

"I'm genuinely grateful for everything that's come out of this residency — the strategic conversations, the introductions, the advice that accelerated our trajectory. The best environment to be building in early on."

"Most startup programs give you resources and frameworks. The focal x LAB residency pushed us to stop preparing and start closing. As academics, it's what we needed."

"The residency has been a game changer. The mentorship and clarity we've gained in such a short time have accelerated our growth. The talks with successful founders have been invaluable, and being surrounded by like-minded founders has pushed us to move faster."

"Joining the residency was the push we needed to move from academic researcher to startup builder. In the first few weeks, we talked to more customers than in the previous few months."

"Focal gave us real backing early with structured support that helped us catch mistakes we would’ve spent months recovering from otherwise along with the connections opening many doors!"

"Being part of the residency has been a game changer. We're surrounded by deeply technical, driven founders building in person every day, with direct access to the focal team and their network of founders who've built unicorns and had multiple exits."