โ Pre-Acceleration
Program Outline
Welcome to
Pre-Acceleration
September โ November 2026 ยท 7 Sessions ยท Personal Mentoring
From Idea to Venture
What We Cover
Introduction to the investor world โ who invests in early-stage startups, what they look for, and how to approach them. Followed by an introduction to market research fundamentals and how to start mapping your market.
What You Will Learn
Seeing your venture through an investor's eyes from day one changes what you build and how you describe it. Market research is how you replace assumptions with evidence.
Session Outcome
Investor landscape overview + a first draft of your market map.
What We Cover
Deep market research and understanding the business landscape. Competitor mapping and positioning within your market. Each founder is matched with a dedicated mentor for the program.
What You Will Learn
Knowing your competitors reveals the gaps and the opportunity. Positioning is the answer to "why you and not them?" โ and your mentor will help you sharpen it throughout the program.
Session Outcome
Competitor matrix + positioning statement, and a confirmed mentor match.
What We Cover
Building a minimum viable prototype and a realistic business model. Leveraging AI tools to accelerate business development processes.
What You Will Learn
An MVP is a learning tool, not a bad version of your product: the smallest thing you can build to test your riskiest assumption. AI tools let a small team move like a big one.
Session Outcome
MVP definition + initial business model, and a shortlist of AI tools for your venture.
04
Session
Team, Vendors & Legal (Introduction)
Slides
Feedback Form
What We Cover
How to recruit co-founders, build a team, and manage collaborations. Selecting and managing external vendors and service providers. Protecting your idea, partnership agreements, and legal fundamentals for startups.
What You Will Learn
The right team and the right agreements early on prevent the most common โ and most expensive โ startup failures. Knowing what to build in-house and what to outsource saves time and money.
Session Outcome
Team gap analysis + a checklist of legal and IP basics for your venture.
05
Session
Topic to be announced
Slides
Feedback Form
What We Cover
Content for this session will be announced closer to the date.
What We Cover
Building a professional first-draft pitch deck for your venture, and preparing for the next steps ahead of the program's close.
What You Will Learn
A pitch deck is a communication tool, not a document โ it should make the listener want to ask the next question. Everything from the previous sessions comes together here.
Session Outcome
A first-draft pitch deck for your venture, ready for practice and feedback.
07
Final
Presentation Practice & Feedback
Slides
Feedback Form
What We Cover
A dedicated session to practice your presentation in front of the group and mentors, and receive structured feedback.
What You Will Learn
The only way to get better at pitching is to pitch โ repeatedly, in front of people who give honest feedback.
Session Outcome
Final pitch version + written feedback โ the basis for advancing to the Acceleration program.
Personal mentoring runs alongside the sessions โ up to 4 hours of 1-on-1 time with your dedicated mentor.
Graduates can advance to the Acceleration program โ