The Sprouts program has been suspended until more funding is secured
Over several months we gave out weekly cash grants to makers all around the world - India, Germany, Romania, Malta, UK, Canada, USA and more.
It was awesome to see the great products submitted and we hope the money helped take these projects farther. We are currently in the process of raising more money to continue this effort on a larger scale, so stay tuned.
Suspended 9/23/2018
How it works
Eligibility for awards is always free, and 100% merit based
Opt-in
Select Sprouts when you submit your product or ideaQualify
Make sure you and your project are "qualified" (see Rules)Participate
Engage with other projects and watch your ranking for the next 7 daysEarn
Get an award package if your product is selected (see FAQs)Partners
Contact us to support makers
Why this matters
Not everyone wants to go to Silicon Valley
A lot of makers just want to make. They aren't trying to raise capital or start a Unicorn. They make to express their creativity.
Not everyone can get to Silicon Valley
Talent is universal and evenly distributed. Opportunities aren't, and we're changing that.
FAQs
Can you define "popular"?
a. Our algorithm looks at a variety of engagement factors to determine popularity. But don't worry, we aren't trying to trick you. Our goal is to make sure all projects have similar chances for the same engagement.
b. Additionally, engagement only counts toward popularity when it comes from "members". Members are verified users who have been part of the community for at least 7 days, and who have completed a series of qualifying engagement activities.
What does "qualified" mean?
1. You must be a verified user
2. Your project must meet our guidelines
3. Your project must also have reasonable need for cloud credits in order to qualify for the cloud credit award packages. This is a bit subjective, but we're working on an alternative for those of you who don't need the credits!
Can't people game the system?
We are careful to prevent this as much as possible. If we find that a user is involved in shady activity we may remove their project from eligibility and ban their access to the community.
What if I don't want cloud credits?
We are working to line up some cool alternatives. If you have an idea let us know!
Where do the cash grants come from?
While we do supply some of the funds, most of it comes from our partners.
Is the cash grant an investment?
No. It's yours, no equity or other strings attached.
Can I be a sponsor?
Hopefully! Please apply here.
When should I post my project?
It doesn't matter. Whether you post on Monday or Saturday is up to you. Engagement with your project will be counted for 7 days following your post.
Where makers are rewarded
Submit your product or idea to join the beta
See popular products of the past Start Making
Rules and Terms
- Popularity is determined by user engagement with your project, including votes, comments, subscribes, and more.
- Votes and engagement from new or unverified users will not count toward popularity
- Your account must be verified before your project is eligible
- We want to serve the global community of entrepreneurs. However, current sanctions in the US prevent us from doing so in some countries. At this time we cannot send cash grants or other awards to users who are on the OFAC sanction list, or who live in countries on the list.
- We may not be able to give grants to makers in these locations.
- Awards that include non-cash items such as Google Cloud credits may be subject to the terms the partner specifies
- Cash grants will be dispersed within 30 days of the award decision (hopefully within 7 days)
- You must select 'Sprouts' when submitting your project in order to be eligible for the grants and awards
- You cannot pay other people to engage with your project. If we suspect this your account may be permanantly suspended.
- This program is still in beta and we may cancel it at any time. But projects posted before the cancelation date will still be eligible for grants and awards.
- Additional awards may periodically be added to the cash grants. These will likely vary from week to week depending on that week's sponsors. Your project is only eligible for the awards listed for the week you post.
- Do not downvote other projects in an attempt to help your own. This will actually make matters worse for your project.
- Do not attempt to game the system - all such attempts or perceived attempts will disqualify your project from award eligibilty.
- We may not be able to give grants to projects on this list.
- Any projects that violate our Terms of Service will be ineligible for awards and grants.
These rules are intended to bring fairness to the Sprouts program. Our goal is that your products and ideas will stand on their own merits - so we don't want the selection process to be subjective. At the same time, we reserve the right to withold the grants and awards for any perceived violation of our rules or terms - even if the idea or product is one of the most popular.
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