Surplus incubator by Manifund and Mox offers $100k SAFE for AI safety startups

Surplus, an incubator organized by Manifund and Mox, aims to seed for-profit startups that create massive public good in the age of transformative AI. The 3-month program, starting late July in San Francisco, offers $100k investment via a SAFE note at a $2M post-money cap. It targets three categories: AI for epistemics and coordination (e.g., fact-checking tools, digital twins, AI forecasting), public-facing websites (e.g., interactive microsites, visualizations, courses), and community infrastructure (e.g., job platforms, funding platforms, writing platforms). Selected founders receive mentorship, office hours, weekly dinners with industry leaders, and access to a cohort of ~10 peers. The program culminates in a Demo Day with aligned VCs and philanthropic funders.

Surplus explicitly encourages for-profit structures, arguing they provide tight feedback loops, access to larger financing pools, and better talent retention through equity upside. Examples of successful for-profit public-good companies include Elicit, Apollo, and Goodfire. The application deadline is June 24, with rolling video interviews and final decisions by July 1. The incubator seeks founders who are “loving, wholesome, earnest” yet “naughty, humorous, spirited,” emphasizing a blend of idealism and practical scrappiness. By focusing on AI safety and global coordination, Surplus hopes to accelerate ventures that might otherwise struggle to find traditional funding.