ACCELERATE YOUR BUSINESS
STRENGTHEN YOUR COMMUNITY. BECOME INVESTMENT-READY.
Belonging @ Startup Colorado is a 12-month accelerator program for entrepreneurs who see business as both a path to scalable growth and a catalyst for belonging. Through intensive training, mentorship, capital readiness development, and statewide ecosystem connections, founders rapidly advance from idea to investment-ready.
HOW IT WORKS
This 12-month accelerator is designed for a small cohort of founders who want deep, personalized support. The program is fully subsidized through partners such as Belonging Colorado, ensuring you receive high-touch guidance and resources with no equity taken.
Deep, High-Touch, Founder-First Support
Each founder is surrounded by a personalized team of mentors, advisors, technical experts, and capital partners. Our Rural Operating System provides support across strategy, operations, capital, storytelling, and visibility, tailored to your business and the community impact you aim to create.
What’s Included
- 3-4 dedicated mentors matched to your growth goals
- Bi-weekly 1:1 advisory and strategy sessions
- Technical and operational support across business functions
- Investment readiness coaching and capital stack strategy
- Warm introductions to angels, CDFIs, VCs, and funders
- Pitch development and storytelling support
- Visibility through statewide storytelling and media
This program functions as a controlled “impact lab,” designed to accelerate your business, strengthen community outcomes, and generate lessons that can be replicated across Colorado and beyond.
By the end of 12 months, you will:
- Refine your business model
- Validate your theory of impact
- Strengthen traction and operational clarity
- Build a polished pitch and investment narrative
- Develop a personalized capital strategy
- Prepare for due diligence and investor conversations
- Gain statewide visibility and network access
- Leave with a lifelong community of peers, advisors, and partners
Our goal is simple:
You’ll graduate from this program pitch-ready, investor-ready, and deeply supported by a network committed to your long-term success
WHO IT'S FOR
This program is designed for founders who believe business can be a bridge, connecting people, strengthening communities, and shaping a more equitable future. We will select 8–10 entrepreneurs whose ideas demonstrate both meaningful social impact and strong potential for growth.
You may be early-stage or scaling, Colorado-based or from another state, but you must be committed to deploying your solution in Colorado communities.
YOU'RE A STRONG FIT, IF YOU'RE:
- Building solutions that bring people together across cultural, geographic, economic, or generational lines.
- Desire deep mentorship, capital readiness support, and statewide visibility.
- Committed to using business as a force for connection, opportunity, and long-term community impact.
- Ready to engage in a year-long, high-touch accelerator and grow alongside a small cohort of peers.
If this resonates with the company you’re building—and the leader you’re becoming—we’d love to see your application.
Applications include:
- Basic business information (product, revenue, team, funding)
- Your founder story and what motivates you
- How your venture builds belonging, connection, or community impact
- How you measure success—both financially and socially
- Your growth goals and challenges
- What support would make the biggest difference right now
Strong applicants have a clear business vision, a compelling mission, and a desire to grow inside a high-touch, year-long accelerator. Qualified applicants not selected for the program will also receive continued support in order to re-apply for the next program or to scale independently.
DEADLINE TO APPLY:
FEBRUARY 6, 2026
It’s time to startup!
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