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.

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WHAT IS A COOPETITION?

Building a business is hard. But it can be even harder in small-town Colorado, where access to experienced funding guides 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 ecosystem where entrepreneurs are encouraged to grow together, leveraging shared strengths to overcome the common challenges of the rural business landscape.

Competition: All Founder Coopetition programs culminate in a final competition, awarding participants based on their final pitch 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 12-week intensive that will help you scale your existing business.

The Growth Challenge helps previous Founder Coopetition participants 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. 

Who’s it for?

  • You’re an early entrepreneur or small business owner in Rural Colorado
  • You have a proven business concept, that’s scalable outside your county of operation
  • Your business has a proven demand and market

What you’ll gain in 4-weeks

  • Funding assessment for your business
  • Pros & cons of different funding models to best-fit your business
  • Where and how to access your funding options
  • Direct connections with expert advisors in Colorado
  • A supportive community of fellow small-town entrepreneurs
  • Present your biggest growth need to a network of advisor experts and ask how best to accomplish it.

What to expect

Part 1: Assessment. We start with an assessment of your business to define your funding needs.

Part 2: Access. You learn where and how to access your funding options, connect with people who can help, and begin preparing your 90-second video presentation, an “Ask” to help get you beyond a current strategic road block.

Part 3: Action. In the final week, we share your video pitch with our extensive network of partners to attract the support and attention you need.

What your weeks will look like

Weekly Interactive Learning

Zoom cohort discussions and Brown Bag Lunches covering weekly assignments

1:1 office hours with your Startup Colorado Lead 

Private discussion forum to share your work and ask questions

growth challenge: UPCOMING COHORTS

Skill Distillery Tech Growth Challenge

  • January 16th-February 20th, 2025 
Apply Here!
FAQs
Meg Mothershed - Mothershed Design
Founder Coopetition idea factory logo

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

The program concludes with a pitch competition and awards will be offered based upon overall performance, participation, and peer reviews. 

Who’s it for?

  • You’re an early entrepreneur or small business owner in Rural Colorado
  • You have a proven business concept, that’s scalable outside your county of operation
  • Your business has a proven demand and market

What you’ll gain in 4-weeks

  • Funding assessment for your business
  • Pros & cons of different funding models to best-fit your business
  • Where and how to access your funding options
  • Direct connections with expert advisors in Colorado
  • A supportive community of fellow small-town entrepreneurs
  • Present your biggest growth need to a network of advisor experts and ask how best to accomplish it.

What to expect

Part 1: Assessment. We start with an assessment of your business to define your funding needs.

Part 2: Access. You learn where and how to access your funding options, connect with people who can help, and begin preparing your 90-second video presentation, an “Ask” to help get you beyond a current strategic road block.

Part 3: Action. In the final week, we share your video pitch with our extensive network of partners to attract the support and attention you need.

What your weeks will look like

Weekly Interactive Learning

Zoom cohort discussions and Brown Bag Lunches covering weekly assignments

1:1 office hours with your Startup Colorado Lead 

Private discussion forum to share your work and ask questions

FAQs

IDEA FACTORY: UPCOMING COHORTS

Cohort Dates: 

  • Emergent Campus: January 20-February 12, 2025
Select the appropriate application below:
Apply Here!
Thayer Hirsh, founder of Knome, a tech startup in Frisco, Colorado.

"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

jumpstart your business

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MEET OUR WINNERS

“I am grateful for the support that the Startup Colorado Founder Coopetition gave in redefining my message, market fit and growth opportunities. This has allowed me to execute a more precise plan for business growth. The peer to peer collaboration during this program has provided a great place to learn from other businesses who may be in different stages of growth.”
Cullen Haskins, Check Your Flies
Cullen Haskins, Check Your Flies
“Participating in Startup Colorado's Founder Coopetition helped me refine my business by better understanding and articulating my 'ask'. As a bootstrapped company, our immediate need isn't funding, but instead we're in the process of scaling our newest initiative, the GeekPack Partners Program, and need advisors who share our passion and believe in our mission to help us close the digital skills gap.”
Julia Taylor, GeekPack
Julia Taylor, GeekPack
“Participating in Startup Colorado's Founder Coopetition was a collaborative environment that provided invaluable guidance in refining my pitch and business strategies. Being part of this community not only held me accountable and motivated me but also alleviated the loneliness of being a rural Colorado founder, offering a truly supportive network.”
Dara Erck, SAM+LEO