FAQs

What do you mean by “pre-seed”?

Pre-seed refers to an early-stage startup that has not yet raised its seed round of funding from outside investors yet. At the pre-seed stage, most startups are funded through founders, crowd-funding, grants, friends, family, or maybe an angel or two. Our program focuses on getting pre-seed startups ready to become attractive investments at the seed stage level.

How does Launch Blue differ from other accelerator programs?

Launch Blue focuses on early-stage technology startups. These startups may or may not have a product in the market, are likely pre-revenue, and some may have raised some pre-seed funding. Founders at this stage are still working towards understanding and developing a viable business model around their idea and validating product-market fit. Most accelerators are seed-stage programs designed for startups who have launched, have market traction, and are raising seed-stage capital. The Launch Blue program is designed to prepare your startup to become a candidate for these later-stage programs and for risk-based capital investment.

Unlike many other accelerator programs, the Launch Blue pre-seed accelerator program does not seek equity from startups participating in the program.

What is “early-stage”?

Early-stage startups are pre-series A funding. You may be pre-product but some companies launch their product while in our program or have recently launched. The main focus at this stage is finding product-market fit, gaining initial traction, and market validation.

What are the primary outcomes of Launch Blue?

The Launch Blue program is designed to prepare your startup to become a candidate for seed-stage accelerator programs and risk-based capital investment. Instructors and coaches work with each founder to help them develop a repeatable business model. Additionally, coaches work with founders to identify key opportunities and next steps for their startup.

Are all founding members of my startup required to attend?

Launch Blue does require that at least one of the co-founding team members commit to being the primary lead while engaging with the program through the 12-week program. Other members of the founding team are highly encouraged to be as active in the program as they can be to keep the founding team on the same page as the business develops.

Do I need to be based in the United States to participate?

Yes. We currently only accept applications from startups based in the United States. While our focus area is the Midwest and southeast regions, we will consider startups outside of those areas.

What is the time commitment for the program each week?

Each week, Launch Blue participants take part in:

• Weekly Cohort Meeting - Wednesdays 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm ET

• Weekly Coaching Session - 30 minutes and scheduled individually.

• GLIDR Video Lecture - around 30 minutes a week.

• Report Out and Business Model Update - around an hour a week.

• Goals - Each week, founders meet with Launch Blue coaches to set goals for their startup for that week. Some of these goals will include customer discovery interviews and market research.

Weekly cohort meetings and weekly coaching sessions are online via Zoom.

What material will the program cover?

The Launch Blue program focuses on helping startup founders work through each part of the business model canvas in detail. Some of the learning topic areas covered are:

• Market

• Scaling

• Competitor Analysis

• Fundraising

• Customer Relationships

• Revenue Models

• Sales and Customer Acquisition

• Key Metrics of Success

If you have additional questions, feel free to email us at x@launchblue.org. You are also welcome to attend our Virtual Office Hours Fridays at 12:30 pm ET.