About
The Accelerator Academy is a successful and established 12 week high
growth training and mentoring programme for ambitious digital
entrepreneurs looking to grow their business, through Training,
Mentoring and Access to Capital.
Focussed on start-up and early stage high growth potential Tech,
Media, Telecoms (TMT) businesses and ambitious entrepreneurs, applicants
are initially assessed for suitability by an online assessment, and
around 10-12 successful companies are selected (25 entrepreneurial
founders and co-founders) as Accelerator Academy participants to take
part in the part time (evenings / weekends) course, with successful
exited TMT entrepreneurs mentoring them personally (2-3 businesses per
mentor, to ensure sufficient ‘facetime’).
Accepted applicants receive the following:
- 150 hours of training, mentoring and support, with weekly Academy
classroom sessions and workshops, fortnightly Accelerator Clinic, weekly
Mentoring from a dedicated Personal Business Mentor (all exited tech
entrepreneurs) and attendance at other start up and Accelerator events. - Free workspace at the Innovation Warehouse, Farringdon for founders
for the duration of the programme (& discounted thereafter) - Access to thousands of pounds of free support, offers, discounts and
deals from a range of partners reflecting our position as a Tier One
Accelerator. - Intensive, structured support around team, market and investor readiness.
- Discounted and fixed fee legal and accounting services from our sponsor partners.
- Admittance to the Accelerator Academy Alumni (upon successfully
completing the programme), providing ongoing support, events, investor
introductions and regular news / offers. - The opportunity to present to key early stage investors at the end of the programme.
The programme ‘market tests’ business ideas and models, to give entrepreneurs the best chance of success and investor readiness.
Costs and Sponsorship
Sponsorship subsidises the Academy, from partners who can give and
get from their participation. Sponsors attend and speak at relevant
sessions.
The cost for accepted applicant companies is £600 (plus VAT) for the
full 12 week course, due to the sponsor subsidy. This is refunded when
businesses complete the programme successfully and go on to raise
investment within 3 months of the programme end, using the Accelerator
Investor Support deal provided by our partner; White Horse Capital LLP.
Additionally, Mentors and the Academy agree to buy up to 5% in participating companies, in the form of options.
Full Refund Of The Fee
We offer to fully refund the programme fee for businesses that
complete the programme successfully and go on to raise funding within 3
months of the end of the programme, using the new Accelerator Investor
Support deal, provided by White Horse Capital.
Access to Capital
Accompanying the Accelerator Academy is an Accelerator Investment
Event (see video clips below). The Academy works with a range of
investment partners (including GLE, Angel Capital Group, MidVen, London
Business Angels, Avonmore Developments and White Horse Capital) to help
ensure appropriate seed investment into the entrepreneurial businesses
that are involved with the Academy programme. These events have drawn
over 700 investors to date, and resulted in around 40 investments being
made into Accelerator Academy graduate companies, with over £10m of seed
funding committed to date.
The Accelerator Academy is the first UK accelerator to be invited to
join the UK Business Angel Association trade body, reflecting its key
role in connecting high growth startups to appropriate seed capital.
Accelerator Fund
Accompanying the Accelerator Academy and the Accelerator Investment
Event is the proposed, new Accelerator Fund, managing up to £10m to
invest in £500-750k tranches into successful businesses developed
through the Accelerator Academy (and selected partner accelerators). The
Accelerator Fund will make follow on investments, where an angel round
has been successfully closed, and the business has made significant
progress, and is at or approaching breakeven. The Fund is currently
being prepared for launch. See ‘Stage Six – The Accelerator Fund’
section (below, right) for more details.
