Recruitment and onboarding
AI-readiness screening and interviews to form the cohort of 20.
Flagship programme · Pre-registration open
ARC Solopreneurship Program
The ARC Solopreneurship Program is a 16-week programme in Phnom Penh that turns 20 independent talents per cohort into AI-native founders. Participants build and run digital businesses with AI agents, get weekly 1-on-1 coaching from ARC and Catalyst AI Academy, and finish with a Demo Day.
Direct partner: Catalyst AI AcademyTechnical curriculum and weekly 1-on-1 coaching
In cooperation with AUPP Technology Center (ATC)The programme is held at ATC in Phnom Penh
Updated 10 November 2026.
At a glance
The programme in numbers.
AI has changed what one person can build. A full founding team is no longer the price of entry. This programme gives 20 people the tools, the coaching and the real commercial challenges to start.
- Places
- 20 per cohort
- Duration
- 16 weeks, four phases
- In cooperation with
- AUPP Technology Center (ATC)
- Direct partner
- Catalyst AI Academy (technical curriculum and coaching)
- Format
- In-person masterclasses and co-working at AUPP Technology Center, Phnom Penh, with online execution
- Coaching
- Weekly 1-on-1, from ARC and Catalyst AI Academy
- Tools
- Claire Primary: Primary Gateway, Chat, Code and Business, hosted locally by ARC
- Ends with
- Demo Day for investors and clients
- Terms
- Published when applications open
- Status
- Pre-registration open
Open to anyone. Built for these groups.
Main target groups
- Solo founders and future solopreneurs
- Freelancers moving from services to products
- Ex-startup employees who want to build their own venture
- Ambitious graduates and job seekers
Anyone can apply
These are the people we expect to see most, not a limit. Selection looks at drive, aptitude, coachability and commercial acumen, not at job title or background.
No co-founder and no engineering background are required. Already working in a team of three or more? Our accelerator track may suit you better.
What happens, phase by phase
Before day one
Month 1
Month 2
Month 3
Four phases, one Demo Day.
AI operator and ideation
- Entrepreneurial basics: ideation, audience validation, product-market fit
- Advanced prompt engineering
- The Claire Primary AI stack: Code, Chat, Business and Gateway
- How agents read, act and remember
Applied challenge sprint
- Design and wireframing of user journeys
- Data modelling and sovereign memory
- Full-stack build with Primary Code: auth, database, payments, APIs
- A first agentic workflow for marketing, sales or accounting
Commercialisation and Demo Day
- Go-to-market strategy, pricing and B2B sales motions
- Agentic marketing, sales, accounting and operations
- Pitch and MVP refinement for investors and clients
Selection
How the 20 are chosen.
Applications are scored on four things. Sector does not matter: the model does.
- Entrepreneurial drive
- Technical and logical aptitude
- Coachability and resilience
- Commercial acumen
How to pre-register
Three steps, about two minutes.
- Open the pre-registration formGo to arc-cambodia.com/prereg.
- Enter your details and tick the consent boxYour name, email, Telegram or phone, and what describes you best. A short note on what you would like to build is optional.
- Wait for our messageWe message everyone who pre-registered first when applications open.
| Pre-registration | Application | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Joining the list to hear first | Applying for one of the 20 places |
| Opens | Now | Date announced soon |
| Commitment | None | Selection and cohort terms apply |
Questions
About the programme.
Is pre-registering the same as applying?
No. Pre-registering puts you on the list. When applications open, everyone who pre-registered is messaged first. Selection looks at entrepreneurial drive, technical and logical aptitude, coachability and resilience, and commercial acumen.
Who can join the Solopreneurship Program?
Anyone can apply. The main target groups are solo founders, freelancers moving from services to products, ex-startup employees and ambitious graduates. You do not need a co-founder or a technical background.
Do I need a co-founder or a technical background?
No. The programme is built for individuals. Non-technical founders are welcome: the Claire Primary tools explain themselves while they work, and coaches help with the rest.
How long is the programme?
The programme runs 16 weeks in four phases: recruitment and onboarding, then AI operator and ideation in month one, an applied challenge sprint in month two, and commercialisation with a Demo Day in month three.
Where does the programme take place?
In Phnom Penh. Masterclasses and co-working are hosted at AUPP Technology Center, with online execution in between.
Does ARC take equity, and what are the terms?
Terms for the first cohort, including whether ARC takes equity, will be published when applications open. Pre-registering commits you to nothing.
When do applications open?
The date will be announced soon. Everyone who pre-registers is messaged first, so pre-registering is the way to hear about it before anyone else.
What will I build during the programme?
Participants build a live product or an agentic service by Demo Day. Examples include a micro-SaaS product or an AI agent for marketing, sales or accounting. The build uses Primary Code, with Primary Chat, Primary Business and Primary Gateway alongside.
What happens to the details I give when I pre-register?
ARC and Catalyst AI Academy use your details to contact you about the programme and share them with ARC Startup Services for that purpose. You can unsubscribe from updates at any time. See the privacy notice.
Join the first cohort
Build your business with AI. Start in Phnom Penh.
Pre-registration takes two minutes. We will message you first when applications open.