Ali Partovi’s Neo is trying to flip the accelerator game on its head. Instead of the usual heavy dilution, Neo is backing early founders with low-equity, founder-friendly terms that let them keep more upside if things work out. The big idea is simple: give capital and mentorship without taxing ownership early. That’s a sharp contrast to the traditional accelerator model that locks in fixed equity before a startup even finds product-market fit. If this catches on, it could shift how early-stage funding works across $TECH and $STARTUPS, especially as founders get more selective about who they partner with. Not a threat to the big names yet, but definitely pressure on the old playbook. More leverage for founders, less dilution upfront, and more competition in the $VC space.