Online accelerator programs to bolster your startup trajectory no matter where you are
Investments, mentorship, connections, and pitching opportunities–a startup accelerator brings all of this and sometimes more to the table. These entrepreneurship hubs give startups a highly conducive environment to test ideas and work on their elevator pitch.
With shrinking borders in the digital world, these hubs are open for business even if you want to give the flight ticket a pass. Find out which of these remote accelerators and incubators is a good fit for your startup.
Startup-O is a peer review network for post-revenue tech startups. It works as a kind of global entrepreneurial meritocracy, where the startup is assessed by ‘seasoned entrepreneurs,’ and this assessment determines access to pre-Series A capital and networks.
Startup-O boasts some big names on their panel of judges and evaluators, such as Satoshi Konno (Director of Innovation, IP Bridge, Japan) and Frank Margolis (Datacenter Energy & Location Strategy, Google). Applications for their fast-track program (Jun – Aug 2020) are open.
Accelerating Asia invests S$100,000 (about US$70,000) in high growth, pre-Series A startups in exchange for a 3% equity stake. The investment is made from their early-stage venture capital fund.
The three-month accelerator program is based out of Singapore, but has been taken online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It concludes with Demo Day (where applicants pitch their ideas to a private network of influence) and an international trip, contingent on developments in the global health situation. Applications end May 17.
Pioneer is a fully remote accelerator program that utilizes gamification in their application process. Startups can enter and compete in the Pioneer Tournament, and experts select startups from the Global Top 50 to join the program.
The one-month program offers to help startups build a U.S. company, and offers a long list of benefits in exchange for a 1% stake. Pioneer also offers some applicants a choice between three buy options for minority stakes. Applications for the tournament are open.
VirTech is Singapore-based venture capital company Expara’s virtual accelerator problem exclusively for startups that are tackling the challenges of COVID-19. The program’s focus areas are detection, information, prevention and protection, and mitigation.
The three-month program offers mentorship, workshops, and funding of up to $50,000 per team. Applications close on 30 April.
The Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator program runs for six months and is entirely virtual. It has a global outlook and is not U.S.-centric. The program focuses on breaking into the Fortune 500 space, and provides investment of up to $1 million.
The accelerator is not independent; it is connected to the Wells Fargo business. Applications are open year round, with a one-month review period.
An early-stage venture online accelerator, BoomStartup’s program is based on five levels, at the end of which startups can receive up to $120,000 in funding. BoomStartup takes anywhere between 6-9% of equity in the startups it incubates.
BoomStartup also offers educational resources and mentorship through their cloud-based software. It accepts applications throughout the year.
- The Leap by Bridge for Billions
The Leap is a Bridge for Billions online accelerator program that helps businesses translate their ideas into plans within three months. The program is more suited to nascent businesses, and charges $525 for the entire course.
The program also offers a chance to win $5,000 in seed capital in their bi-annual Leap Pitch Challenge. Applications close in the first week of April.
- dLAB Incubate
dLAb works with decentralization and blockchain tech startups. While their accelerator program is based in New York, they run the virtual incubator dLab Incubate, a 12-week long program that provides $12,000 in pre-seed capital.
Applications are open till the end of April, and startups that apply before March 31 receive priority consideration.
Newchip’s remote programs are equity free, flexible programs for startups. It offers pre-accelerator, pre-seed, and Seed & Series A programs, the latter two of which are eligible for up . to $250,000 in investments.
Newchip runs 8-9 cohorts a year. Applications are kept open on a rolling basis, and are required to be sent in by the 15th of each month.
All figures in U.S. Dollars unless stated otherwise.
