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Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) paused its Talent x Opportunity (TxO) fund and program in 2025, leaving its future uncertain. Participants were notified by email on October 16. TechCrunch reported that at least three TxO staff members besides program lead Kofi Ampadu were let go; a16z confirmed to the outlet that the existing program was being shut down, but the available reporting does not establish that TxO is permanently closed.
What happened to a16z’s TxO Fund?
TxO’s existing program was paused in 2025. TechCrunch reported on November 3 that a16z confirmed the shutdown of the existing program after participants received an October 16 email from Kofi Ampadu, TxO’s lead. In the email, Ampadu described the decision as a pause to refine the way a16z delivered on TxO’s mission—not as a launch of a replacement program.
TechCrunch reported that at least three TxO employees besides Ampadu were let go, with the end of October as their last week. Those staffing details were attributed to sources familiar with the matter; they were not independently verified in the reporting summarized here. A January 2026 TechCrunch follow-up reported that Ampadu had left a16z.
What was the TxO Fund?
a16z announced Talent x Opportunity in 2020 to support founders from underserved communities who lacked access to traditional venture-capital networks. The program was designed to connect founders with technology networks and company-building support. Its application materials reportedly emphasized cultural authenticity, market size, and execution.
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According to TechCrunch, the program’s support included a 16-week training program and a $175,000 investment through a donor-advised fund managed by the nonprofit Tides Foundation. The outlet reported that TxO supported more than 60 companies, including Brown Girl Magazine, Myles Comfort Foods, and Villie. These are reported program figures and examples, not independently audited outcomes.
TechCrunch also reported that the fund began with $2.2 million in commitments and could receive up to an additional $5 million in matching commitments from Ben Horowitz and Felicia Horowitz. The outlet attributed those figures to its earlier reporting. In his participant email, Ampadu said TxO had reached nearly 100 founders and helped them raise tens of millions of dollars in follow-on capital; that is his reported account, not an independently audited total.
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Why did a16z pause TxO?
The stated explanation came from Ampadu’s email to participants. He wrote: “When we launched TxO, the mission was clear: support talented, determined builders who are creating culture-shaping companies but may not have access to typical Silicon Valley networks and resources.” He added: “While that purpose has not changed, we are pausing our existing program to refine how we deliver on it.”
Ampadu said a16z had experimented with different programming and funding models and would bring lessons from TxO into the firm’s broader early-stage investing and company-building strategy. That explains the firm’s published rationale; the reporting does not establish that a successor program has been launched.
TechCrunch situated the pause amid wider changes to company diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments, and reported that many TxO participants were women and minorities. That context does not establish that DEI-related pressure was a16z’s confirmed reason for pausing the program. The explanation in the participant email was that a16z intended to refine its approach and integrate lessons into broader work.
Is TxO coming back?
The January 2026 TechCrunch follow-up described the pause as indefinite. It also reported that the last cohort was announced in early March 2025 and that Ampadu had left a16z by January 30, 2026. The available reporting does not establish a restart, a permanent closure, or the details of a replacement program, so it is more accurate to describe TxO as paused than to say it has definitively ended.
In a separate statement reproduced in the follow-up, Ampadu described identifying “out-of-network entrepreneurs” and helping them sharpen ideas, raise capital, and grow as leaders. His departure does not by itself establish what a16z will do with TxO’s mission.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was another a16z program a replacement?
TechCrunch pointed to a16z’s Speedrun as another accelerator-style program, with up to $1 million of investment promised to cohort graduates. The reporting does not establish that Speedrun replaced TxO, targets the same founders, or shares TxO’s mission. The programs should not be treated as equivalent based on the available details.
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What the reported figures do—and do not—show
The reported investment, training, company, and founder totals help describe TxO’s design and reach, but they do not by themselves measure long-term outcomes or establish how much funding any individual company ultimately received. TechCrunch’s account and Ampadu’s email are the sources for the figures cited above; the available reporting does not provide an independent audit.
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