.tech Domains Announces 'No Excuses Fund': Up to $1M in Equity-Free Grants for Builders

On October 16, 2026, .tech domains (@dottechdomains) officially announced the 'No Excuses Fund', an equity-free funding initiative offering up to $1 million in grants for early-stage builders and tech founders. The program operates without equity dilution or SAFE agreements.

Image source: @suraj_sharma14 via X

Domain registry provider .tech domains has introduced a builder-first capital program for technical founders focused on shipping software. Designed to eliminate the procedural friction of traditional investor pitches, the initiative evaluates working builds directly to distribute equity-free grants, operator mentorship, and tech stack credits.

Pitch Deck-Free Evaluation: Working Builds from Day Zero to Pre-Series A

The defining feature of the No Excuses Fund is that it does not require a pitch deck.

Operating on the principle that "your build doesn't need a pitch deck; it needs funding," the fund focuses on whether applicants have a functional working product:

• Target Founder Stage: Open to builders from Day Zero to pre-Series A.
• Build-Driven Criteria: Any applicant with a functional working build is qualified to compete in the selection process.
• Non-Dilutive Terms: Selected applicants surrender zero company equity, with no SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) instruments attached to the grant allocation.

Founder Benefits and Governance: Mentorship, Tech Credits, and Two-Tier Jury

Teams selected for the initiative receive a dedicated support package:

• Equity-Free Grants: Grants distributed from an aggregate pool of up to $1 million based on evaluation standing.
• Operator Mentorship: Mentorship from founders and operators who have navigated company and product building before.
• Tech Stack Credits: Credits to build out the team's tech stack.

To ensure impartiality and objective evaluation, applications undergo a structured two-stage review pipeline. Submissions are first reviewed by independent judges, followed by a final evaluation phase conducted by a jury of industry leaders.

Essential Eligibility Conditions and Timeline Caveats

Applicants must satisfy specific deployment criteria to qualify for review and funding disbursement.

The principal requirement dictates that the applicant's product must be actively deployed and live on a .tech domain by December 15, 2026. Conceptual mockups or non-deployed local builds will not satisfy the requirement; the project must resolve live on a public .tech URL by the deadline.

Additionally, this initiative is presented under a sponsored partnership disclosure (#ad) subject to official Terms and Conditions (T&Cs). As the $1 million represents the cumulative fund ceiling across all recipients, individual grant amounts and credit tiers will vary based on jury scoring and applicant tiering.

Sources

• Suraj Sharma Official X (@suraj_sharma14): .tech Domains No Excuses Fund Announcement