MZZ.
The story Fall 2026 update

University of Maryland · Fall 2026 cohort

MZZ Ventures.

Real work, for real companies. A small team of builders, strategists, and researchers who use AI to deliver work a company actually runs on.

Fall 2026 cohort underway · See where we are

01 · Fall 2026 update

Where we are.

Updated October 17, 2026

Applications are closed and our first cohort is in. This fall the team is supporting Recursive Capital, an early-stage venture capital fund backed by Jack Dorsey, to build an industry and company AI research engine.

We kicked off on October 15. Right now the cohort is forming its teams and setting roles so the build can get going. Thank you to everyone who applied.

  1. 01
    Done

    Applications

    Closed October 4.

  2. 02
    Done

    Interviews

    Thirty-minute conversations from late September into early October, several of them alongside MZZ founder Kavon Badie.

  3. 03
    Done

    Kickoff

    The team met for the first time on October 15: introductions, a walkthrough of the project with Kavon, and plenty of questions.

  4. 04
    Now

    Teams and roles

    The cohort is splitting into three teams (AI research, investment research, and software engineering) and setting roles before the next meeting.

  5. 05
    Next

    Build

    Weekly build work through the end of the fall semester. The goal is a tool the fund actually uses, presented by the team that built it.

02 · What this is

The work.

One real engagement

One company, one semester, one team. We scope a real problem with the client and deliver work they actually use.

Small by design

A small team where everyone in the room carries weight and owns a real piece of the work.

AI-native

Whatever the lane, everyone on the team works with AI every day. That is the one non-negotiable. Everything else can be taught, learned, or hired around.

MZZ was founded at Maryland by Kavon Badie, who launched it at 19 and grew it into a global accelerator behind 40+ pre-seed companies that went on to raise $80M+. He co-founded Recursive Capital and now invests in B2B tech at Mighty Capital. This fall the original branch relaunched with a sharper bar, and Kavon is in the room as an advisor, working with members and pressure-testing the work. He also helped interview the founding cohort. Read the story.

03 · Who we look for

The room.

Lane 01

Builders

You prototype. You have wired AI into something that works, or you are one push away from it. You can take an ambiguous problem and turn it into a working demo by Friday.

Lane 02

Strategists & researchers

You may never push code, and that is fine. You scope problems, produce research that holds up under questioning, talk to clients like a professional, and turn findings into decisions.

Both lanes share the same bar: you use AI in your real work already, you show up every week, and you finish what you start. Underclassmen are absolutely welcome. Hunger beats polish.

04 · Fall 2026

Applications.

Fall 2026 applications are closed. Thank you to everyone who applied, and to everyone who passed the application along. New to MZZ? Read the story.