FOUNDER COOPETITION

ACCELERATE YOUR BUSINESS

Startup Colorado’s Founder Coopetition helps rural entrepreneurs launch and scale their business via two tailored programs: the Idea Factory and Growth Challenge. Whether you’re just starting out or already have a growth-ready business, our purpose-built programming will help you accelerate your startup journey.

Already know which accelerator is best for you? Jump to your program page:

WHAT IS A COOPETITION?

Building a business is hard. But it can be even harder in rural Colorado, where access to peers, mentorship and capital networks is often limited.

That’s why Startup Colorado created the Founder Coopetition, combining cooperative learning with a friendly competition.

Cooperation: The Founder Coopetition fosters a unique environment where entrepreneurs are encouraged to grow together, leveraging shared strengths to overcome the common challenges of the rural business landscape.

Competition: All Idea Factory programs culminate in a final competition, awarding participants based on reviews of their final video presentation.

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?

The Founder Coopetition serves early-stage founders with a solid business idea via our 4-week Idea Factory. From there, participants are encouraged to participate in the Growth Challenge, a 6-week intensive that will help you scale your existing business.

The Founder Coopetition’s Idea Factory will help you transform your Big Idea into a clear, ready-to-launch strategy. Through access to a like-minded community of rural entrepreneurs and access to a network of experienced advisors, you’ll develop your business and receive plenty of encouragement along the way.

The Idea Factory is for you if:

  • You are in the early idea stage of your business and want to learn practical methods to validate your product or service.
  • You are working to establish your initial customer base and want to improve your marketing and pitch abilities.
  • You are fully committed to personal and business growth and are open to receiving feedback from respected advisors.
  • You are eager to learn and contribute in a safe, peer-based setting with other like-minded rural Colorado entrepreneurs.
  • Your business is registered and operated in Rural Colorado.

Click here to learn more about the Idea Factory and upcoming cohorts.

Summit Economic Partnership Founder Coopetition
Founder Coopetition with the Summit Economic Partnership, 2024

The Growth Challenge helps previous Founder Coopetition participants, as well as others in a similar position, to accelerate their growth. Building upon the Idea Factory’s fundamentals, our Growth Challenge helps market-ready businesses prepare for growth and funding. We help scalable businesses across verticals transform their current efforts into impactful enterprises.

The Growth Challenge is for you if:

  • You are ready to work on scaling your business full-time.
  • Your business is generating revenue and you are ready to take the next step in expanding your customer base.
  • You are able to confidently demonstrate your business model is repeatable and has achieved measurable market validation.
  • You have a long-term commitment to growing your business in Rural Colorado and are ready to engage a highly-respected advisory network.
  • Your business is registered and operated in rural Colorado.

Click here to learn more about the Growth Challenge and upcoming cohorts.

"Startup Colorado's Founder Coopetition is the kind of collaboration all entrepreneurs need: Camaraderie and the free-exchange of ideas help an entrepreneur remember that we are not alone in our hurdles.” - Elizabeth Philbrick, co-founder of EsoTerra Ciderworks in Durango