Cox Enterprises Social Impact Accelerator Powered by Techstars

There really are too many to name, and more great companies are joining the Techstars network every year, but you might want to check out ClassPass, Cloudability, Coachup, Contently, Crowdtwist, Distil Networks, DataRobot, Digital Ocean, DoubleDub, Everymove, FullContact, Ginger.io, GrabCAD, Kapost, Keen.io, Kinvey, Localytics, Mocavo, Next Big Sound, Occipital, OnSwipe, PillPack, Pivotdesk, Placester, Plated, Remitly, SendGrid, Simple Energy, Sphero, Owlet, Sketchfab, and Synack.

We invest primarily through our mentorship-driven accelerator programs. On average, accelerator companies raise > $1M in the first round of investment post-program, and >$3M in subsequent rounds. For more detail about the funds raised by our Techstars alumni companies, check out our portfolio companies. Participating in an accelerator provides valuable access to funding, industry mentors, potential venture capital investors, and +400 perks worth more than $1M. Plus, you’ll join a powerful lifetime network of +10,000 founders, mentors, and investors—all committed to helping each other by “giving first”. We encourage you to learn more and consider applying.

Techstars provides accelerator portfolio companies with access to financial, human, and intellectual capital to fuel the success of their business. Techstars contributes $20,000, which is commonly used as a stipend to support living expenses during the program, and in return receives 6% equity of the company (on a fully diluted basis, issued as common stock) until the company raises a priced equity financing of US $250,000 or more (a “Qualified Financing”). However, if a company conducts a Network Launch using distributed ledger technology (i.e. a blockchain initial coin offering, token event, etc.), then Techstars will also receive 6% of the Token Reserve (i.e. the tokens “held back” for the founders and the company at Network Launch). Additionally, upon acceptance to a Techstars mentorship-driven accelerator, every company is offered an optional $100,000 convertible note.

• Access to Techstars resources for life
• Acceleration in a 90-day Techstars mentorship-driven accelerator program with personal mentorship
• Lifetime access to the Techstars worldwide network of entrepreneurs, including more than 8,000 mentors, 10,000 investors, 2,700 alumni companies, and over 300 staff members
• Access to over $400k of cash equivalent hosting, accounting, and legal support—plus other credits and perks worth more than $5M;
• Demo Day exposure and other investor connections. Historically, on average, Techstars companies go on to raise more than $2M of outside capital after the program

It’s your company, so you’ll be hard at work on your product.  About two or three nights a week, we organize informal educational sessions with our mentors. We also expect many of the mentors to drop into Techstars at various times throughout the program. In general though, you’ll be working on your product each day, just like all of the other founders in the program. We don’t tell you what to do or when, but we create an environment that is conducive to helping your startup every day. And we’ll make sure you have lots of experienced mentors around to help you.

We provide the seed funding to get you going, but you may well need more funding to really make it. Near the end of the three month program, we’ll organize Demo Day where angel investors and venture capitalists will check out your technology and listen to your pitch. Usually we have about 100-200 investors there. We’ll coach you so you’re as effective as possible, and do everything we can to help get you follow on funding. So far, about 75% companies have received follow on funding and/or immediately became profitable after Techstars ended. On average, Techstars’ companies raise $1-2M post demo day.