---
title: "Cohort One — the incubator for operators, not students"
url: "https://cohort01.com/"
updated: "2026-06-04"
---

# Cohort One

Cohort One is a 12-month, operator-led AI and automation incubator. It is not an
accelerator and it is not for students. It is for founders who have already
shipped an AI product and have early traction — revenue, design partners or live
pilots — and who now need to win the slow work after launch: distribution,
retention, defensibility and capital.

## What founders get

- Venture-grade support: capital, an investor network, and opt-in equity alignment.
- Hands-on operator work on what actually decides whether the company grows: evals, cost engineering, distribution, agents and sales.
- A room of operators rather than students, so the pressure is honest and the advice is operational.

## Who it is for

- You have shipped an AI product.
- You have early revenue, design partners or live pilots.
- You are technical, semi-technical, or have a serious shipping record.
- You are building AI automation, agents, vertical SaaS or productised AI services.

## Who it is not for

- Idea-stage with nothing shipped recently.
- Generic "AI for X" without a real customer wedge.
- More interested in fundraising theatre than building.

## The founders

Co-founded by Daniel Wright and Jakub Piorkowski.

## How to apply

Pre-launch; Cohort #1 is targeted for late 2026. Warm pre-sell is open now. Email
**dw@navaigate.dev** with a one-line description of what you have shipped, the
customer or workflow it serves, and a link. If there is a fit, Daniel or Jakub
will pick it up directly.

See also: [Programme](https://cohort01.com/programme.md) ·
[About](https://cohort01.com/about.md) ·
[Site index for agents](https://cohort01.com/llms.txt)