FRIENDS & FAMILY 2026: Architects of the Human Experience
We’re excited to share our focus for the Friends & Family 2026 cohort: consumer founders who are architecting the human experience.
These are the builders who refuse to accept the world as it is. They don’t start with what exists; rather, they start with what’s possible. They think from first principles, stripping away assumptions to design better systems from the ground up.
How Slauson Defines Consumer
We think of consumer as products built specifically for individuals that improve everyday life across the pillars of human life: health, wealth, productivity, community, and relationships. Whether direct-to-consumer, prosumer, marketplaces, or B2B2C business models, we’re interested in breakthrough innovations that exponentially (not incrementally) shift the way that people do the things they love.
These are solutions that feel inevitable once they exist. They embed themselves in culture and daily life, creating inflection points that influence how society moves forward.
The Architects Who Came Before
We often think of the visionaries who shaped how we live today: Florence Knoll redesigning office spaces. Virgil Abloh redefining luxury. Grace Hopper developing new programming languages. Ray and Charles Eames shaping how we sit, learn, and see. These creators architected how we experience the world with the tools of their time.
Now imagine what they could build with today’s technology—with AI, emerging platforms, and the speed of modern innovation. What new experiences would they create? What cultural shifts could they accelerate? That’s the opportunity in front of us.
Why Consumer, Why Now
We’re witnessing a once-in-a-generation technological moment. The barrier to entry is lower than ever and new technology is already enabling the creation of opportunities to reshape daily life at scale. Yet consumer remains an underinvested category.
The question isn’t whether this transformation will happen. It’s who will lead it.
The Founders We’re Looking For
We’re investing $300,000 in consumer founders who are:
Mold-breakers with exceptional taste who design with intention for people, not just metrics
First-principles thinkers who reject convention to build from the ground up
Cultural seers who anticipate shifts in behavior and identity before they surface
Thoughtful designers who understand that craft and detail matter at scale
Committed to inclusion so better systems reach millions
Post-product with early traction—already proving the world wants what they’re building
These founders understand that the future doesn’t arrive on its own. It’s made deliberately, urgently, and with care.
Friends & Family is where the next generation of iconic consumer companies begins.
If you’re a startup that fits what we’re looking for, we encourage you to reach out. Applications are open through November 2nd at ff.slauson.co