Launch479 is run by Renaissance Philanthropy with Gitwit Venture Studio through the Northwest Arkansas Innovation Fund. It has Entrepreneur in Residence and Engineer in Residence tracks for people developing new ventures from their earliest stages.
Fellows work full time and in person at Gitwit’s Bentonville office for six months. Entrepreneurs lead discovery, validation, product direction, early sales, and pitching, while engineers prototype, ship products, and make foundational technical decisions.
Benefits & funding
- A $91,000 stipend over six months, paid monthly by Renaissance Philanthropy.
- Workspace in Gitwit’s Bentonville office, weekly team lunches, and hands-on access to studio partners, engineers, founders, and design partners.
- Entrepreneur fellows may progress toward a founding CEO role, and engineer fellows may progress toward a founding engineer role; neither route is guaranteed.
- Relocating fellows can receive help finding housing, but the program does not state that housing or relocation costs are funded.
Eligibility
- Applicants choose the Entrepreneur in Residence or Engineer in Residence track. The official pages state no degree, nationality, prior-residency, age, or gender gate.
- Participation is a full-time, in-person commitment in Bentonville; candidates from outside the area may relocate.
- Strong Entrepreneur in Residence candidates typically show evidence of operating, shipping work, learning quickly, and making progress amid ambiguity. These are selection preferences rather than stated minimum gates.
- Strong Engineer in Residence candidates typically show completed projects, production engineering experience, architectural judgment, self-directed learning, and interest in frontier technology. No numeric experience minimum is stated.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
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Application process
- 1Review both track descriptions and choose Entrepreneur in Residence or Engineer in Residence.
- 2Open the Gitwit Builder’s Application from the chosen track page; a résumé or CV is optional, and no cover letter is requested.
- 3Provide contact details, complete the application questions in a direct and conversational format, consent to the stated data processing, and submit.
Program timeline
Rolling
Applications are accepted and reviewed without a published closing date.
Before placement
Some accepted candidates may wait one to three months for a venture to become ready or begin with early-stage discovery work.
Fellowship
Six months of full-time, in-person participation in Bentonville.