What Is a Startup Acceleration Program For?

What Is a Startup Accelerator?

A startup accelerator is a structure that supports entrepreneurs or teams developing business ideas. While acceleration programs may have different goals, they generally aim to speed up the development and growth of startups, helping them move beyond the early-stage phase, structure and validate their business models, and eventually scale and attract investment.

Beyond providing workspace, accelerators offer individualized mentorship, organize workshops covering the entire entrepreneurial journey, provide access to a network of mentors, experts, and business development specialists, and host networking events for knowledge exchange between entrepreneurs.

Acceleration programs are also a key way for startups to connect with business angels and venture capital, vital for growth.

What do accelerators look for in startups?
Common factors include:

• Innovativeness of the business idea
• Team quality (experience and expertise)
• Market potential and regional impact
• Idea maturity
• Technical feasibility

Ready to accelerate your startup?

Set.Up Guimarães and TecMinho have developed Set.Up IN(dustry), an intensive acceleration program designed to turn new ideas into successful businesses through workshops and individual coaching. The initiative connects startups with industrial companies in the Municipality of Guimarães, fostering a new culture of industrial innovation in the region.

Entrepreneurs, individually or in teams, with creative, technological, or knowledge-intensive business ideas can apply. The program seeks teams developing innovative projects with market potential and regional impact.

Program Structure:

• Phase 1: Selected teams participate in 8 acceleration workshops covering the entrepreneurial journey (Voice of the Customer, Market and Competition, Strategy and Business Model, Finance, Sales and Digital Marketing, Prototyping and Productization, Internationalization, and Pitch) plus hours of individual coaching.
• Phase 2: Teams gain access to industrial incubation within a local company, receive a mentor from the industry, and get specialized support to develop the business project.

The program is completely free, and Set.Up Guimarães does not take any equity in your startup.

Applications for Set.Up IN(dustry) are now open at: https://setupguimaraes.com/setupindustry/

Join us and get IN in Guimarães’ industrial ecosystem!

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