Funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority, the 5-month programme will help early stage founders build a business with high scaling potential by surrounding them with experienced founders, investors, and peers.
They will also benefit from a £10k investment grant (no equity taken).
The programme will take place from January to May 2023. Applications close on 7th November. You can apply via https://bit.ly/ApplyIgnite23
If you’re not sure whether the programme is right for you or if you’d just like to have a chat, our CEO Jo York has set aside Wednesdays AM and Thursdays PM for virtual meetings. You can book your slot via Calendly: https://calendly.com/jo-ignite/pre-acc-2023?month=2022-10
We’ve also put a handy FAQ on our website with more information about the programme & eligibility: https://www.ignite.io
We are looking for ambitious founders who want to build big companies. Primarily we are looking for strong founder market fit. This can mean you have either experienced the problem you are trying to solve or have deep domain experience, something that shows us you have a unique insight to the problem.
The pre-accelerator programme is for early stage founders — you may only have an idea, you could have a prototype built or indeed you might have a few early customers.
You can be a solo founder or a team and while we embrace software developers you do not need to be a ‘techie’ to apply. Historically, about fifty percent of our pre-accelerator founders are non-technical and indeed some of the most successful companies in our portfolio have been built by non-technical founders.
Please note the North East Pre-Accelerator programme is for companies based in the North East of England only, and we require companies to have a registered address, or be willing to register, in the North of Tyne area specifically.
“I took part in the Ignite Pre-Accelerator last year, knowing it would give me and my CTO Nikhil the best chance of making our startup, Grid Finder, a success.”
“The Ignite accelerator is about changing the way you think. It helps you to properly contextualise and frame key decisions you make. It gives you a timeless set of skills that allows you to structure your process in an efficient, effective way.
“Over 5 months, we were privileged to receive hours of insightful, challenging, pivot-inducing advice and feedback from Ignite alumni all over the world. We also met our angel investor through Ignite!”
Tom Bunten — Founder of Grid Finder
The Ignite Pre-Accelerator is a 5-month programme that will help you focus on launching and testing your business. During that period, you will receive mentoring and workshops from experienced entrepreneurs and investors to help you build and validate your business model.
To sum up the 5 core benefits of our pre-accelerator:
To date, Ignite has helped more than 500 founders employ staff and raise over $150m of combined investment.
Last year we received over 100 applications for the programme and we’re really looking forward to hearing from a wide range of ideas. We welcome both new applications, as well as applications from individuals who applied for an Ignite programme previously.
For more information and to apply visit https://ignite.io
