Accelerator Application Preview

A couple of things before we get started: this application has been designed to mimic a pitch process and includes many of the questions you get from potential partners, foundations and investors. Our intent is for you to share information that you have readily available or develop answers that you'll need along your start-up journey anyway.  Depending on how far along in your journey you are, this application should take somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes to complete. 

You can not save your application in typeform, so please make sure you have all your business information and any supporting materials you care to share on hand (things like a pitch deck, business plan, or video pitch are all welcome).

Please note: this accelerator is only for cooperative businesses OR those that will legally incorporate as a cooperative in the next 12 months. This means that the business legally shares a majority of its ownership with workers, consumers, or other non-founder stakeholders. For more info on cooperative businesses: www.start.coop/together

Okay let's dive in!!

Section 1: Basics about your Business

  1. What is the name of your business?

  2. What is your business' website? (if you have one)

  3. What is your business address?

Section 2: Learning about you and those with whom you are working to build this business

  1. What statement below most closely describes your team?

    • We have multiple team members working on the business full-time

    • We have multiple team members working on the business part-time

    • I am a solo founder working on the business full-time

    • I am a solo founder working on the business part-time

    • None of the above 

  2. Do you currently have a ?

    • planning team (a group of volunteers/members who come together to organize)

    • Advisory board (formal or informal group of advisors to your business)

    • Governing board governing board (formal group of advisors with legal responsibility to your business)

  3. If yes, who is on your committee or board?

  4. Your name

  5. Your email (if individual founder survey)

  6. Tell us a little about yourself, why you're doing this work, and why you're uniquely qualified to start and run this business (include your background or experience in this field).

  7. Are you a first time founder? yes/no

  8. Please link to your LinkedIn profile (if you have one)

  9. Do you have another co-founder for this application?

  10. (If yes, same autobiographical questions for the co-founder).

Section 3: Learning about the details of your business

  1. Share your elevator pitch in 200 characters or less

  2. Please provide a detailed overview of your business including

    • problem your business addresses (please be specific)

    • business idea and how does it solve the problem you outlined in the last question?

    • The specific product or service are you selling /will you be selling?

    • Who are your most likely customers

    • Your business model i.e. how the business works and you will generate revenue

  3. What is the opportunity size? (i.e how big do you think your potential market is?)

  4. Thinking about your competition, who currently serves your likely customers in a similar way?  In your market name 3 to 4 potential competitors. 

  5. What do you see as the top 3 biggest challenges in your business model?

  6. What does success look like for your business in 5 years?

Section 4: Your progress to date

  1. How long have you been working on this business/project?

    • Less than 6 months

    • 6 months to a year

    • 1-2 years

    • 2-4 years

    • 5+ years

  2. Which milestones have you reached to date?

    • Core business concept defined

    • prototype/mvp built

    • Company registered/incorporated

    • First external users on the product

    • First client has paid

    • Funding raised

  3. Tell us more about your current stage of development including any recent milestones

Section 5: Your cooperative ownership

  1. What is your start-up's status?

    • My business formally shares ownership and governance with our workers, users, or other stakeholders

    • My business will formally share ownership and governance with our workers, users, or other stakeholders in the next six months

    • None of the above

  2. Who are/will be your owners? Choose as many as relevant.

    • Workers 

    • Users/Consumers

    • Producers or other small businesses

    • Investors

    • Other

  3. Which ownership milestones have you reached?

    • Completed ownership model canvas

    • Completed by-laws

    • Registered and incorporated as a cooperative 

Section 6: Uploads!

  1. Please upload a 60-90 second video telling us about you and your business (pitching us the problem you are trying to solve, your proposed solution, and an explanation of how it works.)

  2. Would you like to upload a pitch deck? It's ok if it isn't fully polished, we know you're in start up mode!

  3. Please upload any other documents you’d like to share (e.g. business plan, ownership model canvas)