StepFWD Together accelerator

Tech startups with diverse teams go through our accelerator program when they need guidance and support to grow.

Applications are closed.

Looking to take your startup to the next level with clear and focused steps?

Our program will help you decide what to do next, what to do differently, and how to do it better.

Through tailored mentorship, we will give you the launchpad to success and help you scale faster. With support throughout the funding process, StepFWD Together is the perfect partner to help you grow your startup to the next level!

Who is it for

Before you spend time reading, do check if the Accelerator is the right fit for you.

Early-stage startups

With at least a functioning product and first users or clients.

Teams

Diverse teams of at least 2 founders

Solo founders

We do accept solo founders (need to emphasize how you’ll handle your startup needs)

Start growing

Don’t know how to start and continue to build your startup

Go forward

Take the next bold step and secure funding, access new markets and build valuable investor connections

Continuous learning

Want to learn how to startup properly and get investable

Mission

We aim to increase the number of diverse startup teams by providing them with guidance on how to grow their business, connecting them with experienced mentors, and helping them become more attractive to investors. Our aim is to promote diversity in the startup ecosystem and make it a reality.

Vision

Our vision is to establish an ecosystem that advocates for self-care and motivates founders to prioritize their principles and values. The entrepreneurs at StepFWD will serve as a model for sustainable entrepreneurship.

What you get?

Startup guidance

You’ll have a clear structure for what you need to do next. Also, you’ll learn the dos and don’ts to scale your business (inter)nationally.

Honest feedback

Experienced entrepreneurs will share how they made it. Industry experts will help with any tiny / big problem.

Investment readiness

You’ll learn how investors run their ‘business’ and what they look for. Pitching to them will become second nature.

Resources & perks

You’ll have access to a curated list of startup resources and freebies from useful tech solutions.

StepFWD support

You’ll have access to the community whenever you need. Also, every 3 months, we’ll poke around to see your progress and how can we help further.

What you don't get?

Irrelevant theory

We’ve selected the relevant early-stage startup content delivered in a 20% theory and 80% working on your startup format.

Decisions made for you

The StepFWD team and your Lead Mentor will act as your advisors, but you have to make the final call.

Work done for you

Mentors will give feedback on your plans, problems, and working documents. It’s you who has to move your startup forward.

Burnout

We will ALWAYS prioritize taking care of you as a founder to working yourself into exhaustion. Happy founder = (higher chance of) startup success!

What our alumni say?

"I had no business knowledge before StepFWD and everything I know now about how to properly run a start-up is all due to this amazing program."

Behiye Begum Yuzgulen

CTO at CleverEat

"I know it sounds cliché but it’s kind of life-changing. Now I am sure that without this program we couldn’t have succeeded."

Cosmin Balaban

CEO at gopostly

Activities Overview

Workshops

Get a 360-degree view on the topics related to building a startup: product development, growth, fundraising, and pitching.

Hands-on Sessions

Startups assemble with 1 mentor into working groups. All startups get 20 minutes to collect feedback on their workshop assignments and learn from the feedback the other startups receive.

Speed Mentoring

Engage with multiple mentors in back-to-back meetings. You’ll discuss your problems and get feedback from great mentors.

Investor Meetings

Meet with local and international angel investors and VC funds to learn what they look for in your startup and how to prepare for your investment round.

Pitch Practice

Rehearse and improve your pitch with mentors and the StepFWD team. Master the process of building and delivering the perfect presentation at (any) Demo Day.

Roundtables

You’ll discuss some hard topics (going to top accelerators, founders self-care, etc.) with mentors and StepFWD alumni in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

Community Sessions

You will participate both in 1-on-1 and group sessions to meet the rest of the participants, alumni from previous years and our community partners.

Demo Day

Mentors, investors, community partners, corporates, press attendees are invited together with the broader community to the final event. Each startup gets to showcase their business in a 5 min pitch.

Lead Mentors team (for startups in Phase II)

Talking with experienced mentors can help you validate your assumptions and avoid common pitfalls, which cost you both money and time (which you don’t have).

Lead Mentors

How does it work?

Every week, you have a 45-minute office hour session with your dedicated team of lead mentors. This is an opportunity for you to discuss your progress from the previous week, create a plan for the upcoming week, and seek assistance from both your lead mentors and the StepFWD team.

A perfect match

In Phase II of our program, we pair each startup with two lead mentors. We look for both a professional and personal match to make sure you have a smooth, rewarding experience throughout the program.

Achieve your goals

They're there to help you build towards your goals but also break them. As you'll soon learn, sometimes you have to let go of old beliefs to embrace new ones in order to innovate and stay ahead of competitors.

Dedicated coach

We believe that a lead mentor is like a sports coach: they “train” you for the match day, but it’s up to you to put in the hard work and perform at your best when the time comes.

Schedule

You become part of a program that gets your startup into shape, from product to pitching and everything in between. Each week packs a workshop and mentoring sessions focused on specific topics where you get to work with founders who’ve been where you are, plus industry pros who give you their best advice.

The schedule below is subject to small changes.

Phase I Learn and connect - 20 startups

Building a Team - 17 - 21 Oct

16 Oct, Monday, 15:00 - 18:00
Orientation: Startups & StepFWD team

17 Oct, Tuesday, 15:00 - 18:00
Workshop: How to Recruit and Build your Founding Team

18 Oct, Wednesday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: Inside the Mind of an Entrepreneur

19 Oct, Thursday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: How to Create a Diverse, Inclusive, and Equitable Culture

20 Oct, Friday, 11:00 - 14:00
Office Hours: Building a Team

Product Management - 23 - 30 Oct

23 Oct, Monday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: From customer dev to Product dev

24 Oct, Tuesday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: Product ideation & solution validation

25 Oct, Wednesday 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: Product Management B2B2C – Key Metrics for product/segment performance

25 Oct, Wednesday, 17:30 - 23:00
Beer and socializing

26 Oct, Thursday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: Product management

27 Oct, Friday, 11:00 - 14:00
Office Hours: Product development

Growth - 30 Oct - 10 Nov

30 Oct, Monday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: Growth

31 Oct, Tuesday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: Product Led Growth

1 Nov, Wednesday, 16:00 - 23:00
Workshop: Product Marketing, Growth Enablement - Understand Product/Segment Marketing & Go To Market strategy
Beer and socializing

3 Nov, Friday, 11:00 - 14:00
Office Hours: Growth

6 Nov, Monday, 16:00 - 17:30
Roundtable: Meet the StepFWD Alumni

7 Nov, Tuesday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: Sales

8 Nov, Wednesday, 17:00 - 19:00
Workshop: Strategic Thinking for Startups

10 Nov, Friday, 15:00 - 16:30
Workshop: EU funds for startups

Fundraising & Pitching 13 - 21 Nov

13 Nov, Monday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: Fundraising

14 Nov, Tuesday, 15:00 - 18:00
Speed mentoring

15 Nov, Wednesday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: Pitching

17 Nov, Friday, 11:00 - 14:00
Office Hours: Fundraising

20 Nov, Monday, 11:00 - 14:00
Office Hours: Pitching

21 Nov, Tuesday, 15:00 - 18:00
Investor Meetings

Investor Meetings & Speed mentoring 22 Nov - 8 Dec

22 Nov, Wednesday, 16:00 - 17:30
Workshop: Legal aspects of investments

23 Nov, Thursday, 15:00 - 18:00
Workshop: Storytelling & Public Speaking

24 Nov, Friday, 15:00 - 18:00
Investor Meetings

27 Nov, Monday, 15:00 - 18:00
Pitch practice

28 Nov, Tuesday, 15:00 - 18:00
Speed mentoring

29 Nov, Wednesday, 15:00 - 18:00
Investor Meetings

4 Dec, Monday, 15:00 - 18:00
Pitch practice

5 Dec, Tuesday, 15:00 - 18:00
Investor Meetings

6 Dec, Wednesday, 15:00 - 18:00
Pitch practice

8 Dec, Friday, 15:00 - 18:00
Pitch practice

Demo Day - 12 Dec, Tuesday, 11:00 - 21:00

Phase II Grow - 6 startups

18 Dec, Monday
Paring the startups with lead mentors teams

19 Dec, Tuesday
Tailored Workshop

20 Dec, Wednesday
Office hours with lead mentors

9 Jan, Tuesday
All-hands meeting

10 Jan, Wednesday
Office hours with lead mentors

16 Jan, Tuesday
Tailored Workshop

23 Jan, Tuesday
All-hands meeting

24 Jan, Wednesday
Office hours with lead mentors

6 Feb, Tuesday
All-hands meeting

7 Feb, Wednesday
Office hours with lead mentors

16 Feb, Friday
Tailored Workshop

20 Feb, Tuesday
All-hands meeting

21 Feb, Wednesday
Office hours with lead mentors

5 Mar, Tuesday
All-hands meeting

6 Mar, Wednesday
Office hours with lead mentors

12 Mar, Friday
Pitching at the Investors training in Bucharest

15 Mar, Friday
Pitching at the Investors training event in Cluj-Napoca

19 Mar, Tuesday
All-hands meeting

20 Mar, Wednesday
Office hours with lead mentors

27 Mar, Wednesday
Tailored Workshop

2 Apr, Tuesday
All-hands meeting

3 Apr, Wednesday
Office hours with lead mentors

10 Apr, Wednesday
Tailored Workshop

19 Apr, Friday
All-hands meeting

24 - 25 Apr, Wednesday - Thursday
Pitching at Startup Extreme, Hemsedal, Norway

30 Apr, Tuesday
All-hands meeting

Applications are closed

Applications for the next Cohort are closed.

Do you have any questions?

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

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