Time to BUILD

Grow your prototype into a profitable business with your diverse team in our 8 weeks pre-acceleration program.

Applications now open for the 2021 Cohort

Apply now
StepFWD
 Powered by: 
 In partnership with:  

Looking to get your prototype or idea off the ground?

Get access to the best tools for turning your passion into a viable business, with the help of experienced mentors.

image
image
image
image

StepFWD Events

Get a sneak-peek into the program by joining one of the all-year-round events.
Check them out.

Why join the program?

Startup fundamentals

Our program is a 360-degree experience that teaches you the basics of founding a startup, from incorporating and legal mechanics to product development and sales.

Hands-on workshops

Seasoned entrepreneurs and industry experts deliver hands-on workshops that leave you with a clear action plan and buzzing with "can do" energy.

Tailored mentorship

Your startup will be paired with a lead mentor that will advise and guide you throughout the program.

Network

We'll introduce you to the local startup ecosystem so you don't have to spend years doing it yourself. Plus, these people really want to meet you!

What do our alumni say?

Our mission is to support tech startups with diverse teams through the first stages of their growth.



image
"The program connected us with people who are well seasoned in the startup environment and could guide us with advice, on the level that we were at that particular moment. The StepFWD program exceeded my expectations. It was like a snowball rolling down the hill, just getting bigger and bigger."
Cristina Oprea
COO, LopiAI
image
"I learned a lot and by the end of it I had a pretty good idea on what to do next. Later on, I found how useful it was to prepare for all the assignments, the go-to-market sheet, the one-liners, the pitch decks. They all have been useful since."
Ciprian Grigore
CTO, Licenseware
image
"During the pre-accelerator, I learned practical things on how to grow my business. The most important ones are: test, test, test and test again followed by always listening and talking to your customers. Having mentoring sessions with experts, business owners and being able to network with other like-minded entrepreneurs, helped us skip some mistakes and accelerate our growth."
Ovidiu Stegari
CEO, Sitter
image
"The reality of the program exceeded my expectations because there were many mentors with a lot of knowledge and expertise on each of their fields who wanted to share that knowledge, who listened and helped us individually with the issues each of us was facing in our startup. Additionally, listening to the other participants was actually really helpful as well, as it helped in assessing our startup in different ways."
Simina Stancu
CPO, Quandary Systems

Ready to Apply?

Applications for the 2021 Cohort are open!

Apply now*

* To ensure the participants and mentors' safety, activities will take place online.

The Program

We welcome and support diverse teams that want to grow a prototype into a profitable business.

Check out
the Program Schedule
View
the Program Mentors
Meet the Team
Check out
our Partners

Do you have questions?

Please check out the FAQ section for any questions you might have regarding eligibility criteria, the application process or program setup.

Check out our FAQ page