Manos AI Fellowship
An 8-month, full-time, build-and-ship program designed for ambitious AI-native builders. Work inside real vertical software environments, build AI systems that ship to real customers, and pursue ownership outcomes.
Important dates
Applications open: March 2, 2026
Applications close: April 30, 2026
Interviews: April/May 2026
Program kick off - Group 1: June 2026
Program kick off - Group 2: September 2026
Program Overview
This is not an internship
The Manos AI Fellowship is an 8-month, full-time, build-and-ship program designed for ambitious AI-native builders.
You will work inside real vertical software environments, build AI systems that ship to real customers, and pursue one of three outcomes:
1
Launch a new AI product
2
Lead AI transformation inside a Manos portfolio company
3
Spin out a new venture with Manos backing
This is not an internship. It is a high-performance program for builders who want real ownership and real outcomes.
What makes this different
Most fellowships are educational. Most accelerators start from zero.
The Manos AI Fellowship starts with:
Access to paying customers
Distribution across 20+ portfolio companies
Existing software platforms and workflows
Capital for serious product development
A defined path to equity outcomes
You build with real constraints. You ship to real users.
Program structure
Duration
8 months (full-time)
Location
Fellows must be present in the Montreal office for the duration of the program.
Employment status
Fellows are full-time employees of Manos Software Group for the duration of the fellowship.
Compensation includes:
- $65,000 stipend for the 8-month period
- Housing support
- Standard employment benefits
Two build tracks
1. Internal AI transformation
Build AI agent teams inside portfolio companies, such as:
- AI customer support teams
- AI SDR / sales automation
- AI marketing systems
- AI onboarding automation
- AI engineering copilots
Success metric: Replace measurable labor hours or materially increase operational output.
2. External AI products
Build new AI-native products that serve portfolio company customer bases.
Examples include:
- Vertical AI voice agents
- AI documentation systems
- AI copilots embedded into workflows
- Industry-specific automation tools
Success metric: Launch a production product and acquire early paying customers.
Timeline
1
Month 1 – Discovery & squad formation
- Deep immersion in portfolio companies
- Customer calls and workflow analysis
- Opportunity pitches
- Squad formation (3–4 fellows per squad)
- Clear success metrics defined
2
Months 2–4 – Build & ship
- Rapid MVP development
- Weekly reviews
- Bi-weekly demos
- Real-world beta testing
Deliverable: Working product shipped to real users.
3
Months 5–6 – Scale & launch
- Broader rollout
- First paying customers or measurable operational impact
- Go-to-market preparation
4
Month 7 – Growth & refinement
- Scale what works
- Refine pricing and positioning
- Prepare spin-out or internal leadership proposals
5
Month 8 – Demo Day
- Public showcase
- Presentation to portfolio CEOs, investors, and partners
- Fellowship outcome decisions
There is no guarantee of funding or spin-out. Outcomes are merit-based and performance-driven.
Intellectual property & bringing your own idea
Intellectual property
Fellows are employees of Manos Software Group.
All intellectual property created during the fellowship is owned by Manos Software Group.
If a project becomes a spin-out company, IP may be transferred into the new entity under agreed capitalization terms.
Fellows retain rights to:
- Prior inventions
- Pre-existing projects disclosed before start
- General knowledge and skills
Full IP agreements are signed upon acceptance.
Can I bring my own idea?
Yes.
Applicants may propose their own AI startup idea. If selected, it must align with Manos portfolio markets or strategic direction.
All IP developed during the fellowship remains owned by Manos unless formally spun out.
Who should apply
We are looking for:
Technical founders
AI engineers
Product operators
AI-native builders
You do not need:
- A perfect GPA
- A CS degree
- FAANG experience
You must have:
- Evidence you ship
- Deep curiosity about AI
- Bias toward action
- Comfort with ambiguity
Application process & pitch guide
Application process
Stage 1: Application + pitch
Submit:
- Pitch deck
- 15-minute recorded presentation
- Portfolio or proof of work
- Written responses
Stage 2: Interviews
- Structured evaluation
- Live deep-dive discussion
- Short problem-solving exercise
Stage 3: Squad formation
Finalists participate in:
- Lightning pitches
- Live build challenge
- Team dynamics evaluation
Pitch guide for applicants
Show us who you are, what you’ve built, and what you want to do inside Manos.
Start with you
Who are you?
- What do you build or operate?
- What are you unusually good at?
- What problems do you gravitate toward?
- What do you want from this program?
Then show us proof
Different profiles should highlight different strengths.
Choose the angle that fits you.
If you’re a builder (engineer / AI-native creator)
Show us something real.
- A project you built
- A model you trained
- A system you shipped
- A hard technical problem you solved
Walk us through:
- What it does
- Why it’s interesting
- What was technically difficult
- What you’d improve next
If you already have a business or product
Show us traction and leverage.
- Who uses it?
- Revenue or usage metrics
- Retention or engagement
- What makes it sticky?
Then tell us:
- How this plugs into a Manos business
- How distribution would accelerate it
- Where it could go with scale
If you’re an operator (product / vertical expert)
Show us insight.
- A workflow you deeply understand
- Where inefficiency lives
- Why incumbents haven’t fixed it
- What AI could realistically change
Then outline:
- Your wedge
- How you’d test it
- What you’d build in 8 months
What you want to build here
No matter your profile, answer this:
- What excites you about building inside real distribution?
- Do you want to integrate into an existing BU?
- Do you want to launch something new?
- Are you applying solo or with a team?
Keep it simple
10–15 slides max
Or a 5–7 minute video
Or a 5–7 minute video
Manos portfolio summary
These are the businesses you can build into.
MacPractice
Industry: Dental & medical practice management software
Description: MacPractice provides a HIPAA-compliant practice management and clinical workflow platform tailored for dental and medical practices running on macOS and iOS. The solution includes patient scheduling, billing and claims processing, clinical charting, reporting, and office management features designed to streamline daily operations and enhance care delivery. Over 3000 clinics rely on MacPractice for practice administration and productivity.
AI application ideas:
- Predictive no-show risk models to optimize scheduling and decrease idle time.
- Patient sentiment analysis from portal messaging to prioritize communications.
Asteris
Industry: Veterinary imaging and PACS software
Description: Asteris delivers Keystone PACS and digital imaging management solutions for veterinary practices of all sizes. The platform consolidates and secures radiology and diagnostic images (X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound) and supports storage, retrieval, teleconsultation, and workflow collaboration. Its tools aim to streamline imaging processes and support faster, more accurate clinical decisions for animal health professionals.
AI application ideas:
- AI-assisted image interpretation (e.g., detecting fractures or common pathologies).
- Workflow triage tools that prioritize critical cases for radiologist review.
- Predictive analytics for practice inventory and modality utilization.
XLDent
Industry: Dental practice management software
Description: XLDent offers a comprehensive dental practice management and electronic dental records system designed to help dental practices automate key business processes, streamline clinical workflows, and manage patient care more efficiently. The suite includes tools for appointment scheduling, patient records, charting, treatment planning, insurance claims, reporting, and cloud or on-premise deployment options. It is suitable for practices of all sizes and supports both single- and multi-location operations.
AI application ideas:
- Predictive patient no-show and cancellation models to optimize scheduling.
- Automated dental image analysis for common findings in radiographs.
- Natural language patient messaging bots that handle appointment reminders and FAQs.
Progitek / Dentitek
Industry: Dental software solutions
Description: Progitek, best known for its Dentitek dental clinic management platform, has been serving dental professionals since 1995. It provides tools to automate clinic operations, reduce manual administrative tasks, and improve efficiency. The Dentitek suite enables paperless workflows, communication modules for patient reminders and updates, analytics dashboards, and comprehensive administrative support for billing and scheduling.
AI application ideas:
- Automated appointment and billing reminders personalized by patient behavior patterns.
- Clinical workflow prediction to balance staff workload and reduce bottlenecks.
- Patient intake automation using conversational AI to prepopulate records.
IBS & Bold
Industry: Public safety and alarm monitoring software
Description: Bold Communications provides alarm monitoring and security operations software used by alarm receiving centres, public sector control rooms, and commercial monitoring environments. The company’s platforms (e.g., GeminiSense) support 24/7 integrated alarm and CCTV monitoring, delivering real-time visibility of security events and enhancing incident management and operational efficiency. Bold is recognised as a leading alarm monitoring provider in the UK and Europe.
AI application ideas:
- Intelligent threat detection and classification from alarm and sensor streams using machine learning to reduce false alarms.
- Predictive analytics to anticipate maintenance issues or network disruptions.
- NLP-powered incident summarization to generate concise reports for operators.
- AI-driven cybersecurity monitoring for SOC environments integrated into alarm platforms.
Wageloch
Industry: Workforce management
Description: Wageloch delivers cloud-based workforce management software that simplifies employee rostering, time and attendance tracking, electronic timesheets, HR administration, and payroll integrations for businesses across industries such as retail, healthcare, and hospitality. The platform connects with third-party payroll and POS systems to help enterprises automate labour operations and improve compliance.
AI application ideas:
- Shift demand prediction using historical staffing and sales data to optimize scheduling.
- Automated compliance monitoring flagging rule violations (e.g., overtime or award interpretations).
- Chatbot assistant for employees to request leave, update shifts, or answer HR questions.
- Workforce churn prediction to identify at-risk employees.
Idhammar
Industry: Asset and maintenance management
Description: Idhammar Systems provides computerized maintenance management (CMMS) and asset performance management solutions to help organizations coordinate equipment maintenance, reduce downtime, and improve asset lifecycle outcomes. Its suite includes modules for asset tracking, work order management, condition monitoring, inventory control, and operational analytics, servicing sectors such as manufacturing, emergency services, utilities, and automotive.
AI application ideas:
- Predictive maintenance models using sensor and historical failure data to foresee equipment breakdowns.
- Anomaly detection for early identification of maintenance issues.
- Intelligent work order prioritization based on risk and operational impact.
- Natural language maintenance request automation to convert freeform input into structured tasks.
ProgressionLive
Industry: Services management
Description: ProgressionLive provides service industry software solutions designed to streamline operations, manage customer lifecycles, scheduling, dispatching, and billing.
AI application ideas:
- Automated job assignment and routing optimizing field service technician workflows.
- Demand forecasting to predict busy service periods.
- AI-driven customer communication for appointment notifications and follow-ups.
- Sentiment analysis on customer feedback to guide service improvements.
Irosoft
Industry: Government, legal, regulatory, finance and insurance
Description: Irosoft develops software for government and regulated markets, including solutions for case and compliance management, licensing, inspections, and information governance. Its platforms support complex regulatory requirements while improving process efficiency for public sector, legal, and financial institutions.
AI application ideas:
- Intelligent compliance monitoring leveraging NLP to flag regulatory risks.
- Automated case triage and document classification to support legal workflows.
- Predictive analytics for risk assessment in finance or insurance.
- Conversational AI assistants for citizen or customer support.
Fusion & Pimsoft
Industry: Process industries software and digital transformation services
Description: Fusion & Pimsoft deliver software and consulting services to process-centric industries, helping companies modernize legacy systems, drive digital transformation, and integrate disparate data streams for strategic insights. Their offerings often span ERP optimization, process automation, and industry-specific application deployment.
AI application ideas:
- Process optimization engines using AI to identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies.
- Unified data analytics platforms with AI-powered insights across business units.
- AI system migration assistants to automate and validate transformation workflows.
- Digital twin simulations for process performance forecasting.
EasyEmployer
Industry: Workforce management
Description: EasyEmployer is an Australian workforce management platform focused on roster planning, employee scheduling, time tracking, and communication tools that help organizations manage complex shift patterns and compliance.
AI application ideas:
- Predictive staffing recommendations based on demand and historical performance.
- Automated roster conflict resolution using pattern recognition.
- Smart notifications for shift changes and compliance alerts.
- Employee sentiment analysis from internal communications.
Service Central
Industry: Service and repair management
Description: Service Central provides software to manage service businesses, including repair ticketing, inventory, billing, and customer communication. Its solutions are designed for small and medium service organizations seeking to centralize operations and improve service delivery.
AI application ideas:
- AI triage and ticket classification to automatically route service requests.
- Service time and resource prediction models to optimize scheduling.
- Automated customer updates and chatbot support.
- Parts inventory demand forecasting to manage stock efficiently.
T-Innova
Industry: Sports management
Description: T-Innova delivers software solutions for sports organizations, including membership management, scheduling, registration, and event coordination. Their platforms help streamline administrative tasks and engagement for sports clubs and associations.
AI application ideas:
- Predictive participant engagement analytics to tailor communications.
- Automated match and event scheduling optimizing availability.
- AI-led community insights on player performance or attendance patterns.
- Natural language event summaries and automated newsletter generation.
Inatech
Industry: Energy-trading and fuel-management
Description: Inatech delivers software solutions for energy traders, fuel suppliers, and distributors, enabling them to manage contracts, pricing, risk, logistics, and compliance within volatile energy markets. Their offerings support complex fuel trading and supply chain operations.
AI application ideas:
- AI-driven price forecasting using market signals.
- Risk and compliance anomaly detection for trading operations.
- Optimization of supply chains with predictive logistics planning.
- Chatbot for contract queries and scenario analysis.
Anju Software
Industry: Life sciences
Description: Anju Software builds technology for life sciences teams running clinical trials and medical affairs operations. Their products and content focus on areas like adverse event reporting and pharmacovigilance process improvement, eSource for early phase clinical trials (AnjuEPS), medical information management (IRMS MAX), and clinical trial data quality workflows such as medical coding tools.
AI application ideas:
- Case intake automation for safety teams.
- Narrative + report drafting copilot.
- Medical information response accelerator.