Introducing our Winter 2026 B2B AI-first cohort

Forum Ventures is excited to introduce our Winter 2026 B2B AI-first accelerator cohort, which includes 10 exceptional companies, five of which we're excited to share with you below. The remaining five are in stealth mode and will be announced at a later date.

In Q4 2025, Forum Ventures received applications from over 2,000 founders. The Winter 2026 cohort represents the top 0.5% of that pool. These founders are at the earliest stages of company building, and will work 1:1 with our team of Managing Directors to validate their direction, accelerate go-to-market, and build a foundation for sustainable growth. And then go out to fundraise. 

Why This Cohort Stands Out

From autonomous software security to AI-native compliance infrastructure, from software-defined manufacturing to intelligent practice management, each company is tackling problems that have resisted traditional solutions. They're building in sectors where customers are sophisticated, the problems are well-defined, and the opportunity to create lasting value is significant.

What excites us most is the caliber of founders behind these companies. They bring domain expertise, technical depth, and a clear understanding of the customer problems they're solving. 

Below, we're introducing each company, what they're building, and why we're excited to build alongside them.

Meet the Winter 2026 Cohort

Shepherd AI

Founders: Pete Thaveesi (Co-Founder) and Prim Boonyachai (Co-Founder)

AI models that can autonomously hack and fix software for mission-critical and high-value codebases.

Here’s why Managing Director Neal Sarraf is bullish about Shepherd AI: 

Prim and Pete have the rare combination of technical depth and market timing - they're building adversarial AI for blockchain security at exactly the moment when billion-dollar hacks are forcing the industry to move from reactive to proactive defense.

Forged Operations

Founders: Gregory Barnes (Co-Founder & CTO) and Kyle George (Co-Founder & CEO)

Forged Operations is an AI-native operations and compliance infrastructure for the nuclear industry and other highly-regulated sectors.

Here’s why Managing Director Deirdre Clute is bullish about Forged: 

Kyle and Gregory spent years in the nuclear industry watching suppliers face existential compliance risk with paper-based systems. They're rare technical founders who deeply understand both the 100% quality assurance nuclear demands and the market urgency in 2026 - 400 reactors expanding to 600+, billions in SMR investment, zero modern tooling. Their insider expertise is why they're converting supplier desperation into six-figure deals.

Onnyx Systems Corp

Founder: Colton Black (Co-Founder & CEO) & David Antaki (Co-Founder & CTO)

Turnkey PCB assembly powered by a software-defined factory—designed to scale from prototype to production.

Here’s why Managing Director Neal Sarraf is bullish about Onnyx: 

Few teams are better positioned to solve this. Colton brings firsthand experience from defense programs where PCB failures aren't a delay, they're a mission risk. David has spent years at SpaceX and Applied Intuition shipping hardware where tolerances for error are zero. Together, they're bringing that standard of excellence to every engineer who can't afford to get it wrong.

Loma

Founders: Grant Thain (Co-Founder & CEO) and Montana Holmes, PsyD, LP, LMFT (Co-Founder & CCO)

Loma is an agentic business in a box that helps licensed clinicians start their private practice, from incorporation and insurance paneling, to business accounting and EHR.

Here’s why Managing Director Deirdre Clute is bullish about Loma: 

Montana and Grant hit the perfect inflection point. In 2025, 70% of therapists want independence but only 12% achieve it, and the tooling gap is massive. Montana brings clinical credibility as a practicing psychologist who's lived the pain of exploitative group practice splits, while Grant's embedded finance expertise gives them the technical chops to build a better alternative. They're founders who deeply understand their customer, learn fast, and balance vision with execution.

KEG Tech

Founder: Jeff Ross (Founder & CEO)

KEG Tech is an institutional execution and oversight layer for digital-asset transactions.

Here’s why Managing Director Kevin Corliss is bullish about Jeff: 

Jeff built and ran high-frequency FX desks at three hedge funds for the past 17 years without a losing month - he is one of the best, most knowledgeable people in the world here and there's no one better to build this business.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What stage are these Forum Ventures companies at?

Most founders in this cohort are pre-market or pre-revenue and are still working toward product-market fit. They are focused on validating customer pain, testing willingness to pay, and building early traction before scaling.

Does Forum work with companies at different stages? 

We support founders at three different stages. Our AI Venture Studio where we build and launch B2B companies alongside founders who are incubating an idea. Our Accelerator program where we invest in and work with B2B founders who are pre-market, MVP, or early market. And lastly, our Pre-seed fund for founders that have already raised an institutional round where we work with them to scale.

What types of startups does Forum Ventures work with?

Forum Ventures partners with B2B software, SaaS and AI-first founders building practical, revenue-driven businesses. We work with founders who want hands-on support across customer discovery, go-to-market, early sales, and fundraising preparation.

How does Forum Ventures support founders at the pre-PMF stage?

At Forum, we don't run a traditional accelerator. We partner with a small number of founders at a time so we can work inside the business, hands-on, as a true extension of the team. Founders in our cohorts are supported through weekly 1:1s with a dedicated Managing Director, practical GTM and customer discovery work, and direct access to customers, operators, and investors who can help them move the needle at this stage.

Is Forum Ventures an AI-focused accelerator?

Forum Ventures is AI-first, not AI-only. We back founders using AI where it creates real leverage, accelerating workflows, improving insight, or enabling new capabilities, while staying grounded in customer demand and business fundamentals.

Do founders need traction or revenue to join Forum Ventures?

No. Many founders join Forum before launching a product or generating revenue. The focus is on validating the problem, identifying early buyers, and building toward fundable milestones.

Does Forum Ventures help with go-to-market and sales?

Yes. GTM and early sales are core to Forum's approach. Founders receive support on pre-selling, structuring design partnerships, early outreach, and turning pilots into long-term customers.