Join StepFWD, the 8-week pre-accelerator for tech startups with diverse teams.
StepFWD is the pre-accelerator program designed for early-stage tech startups with diverse teams. We strongly believe in helping founders to achieve their potential and we do so through several activities and mentorship sessions that take place during the 8-week program. If you’re a startup that is considering applying to StepFWD 2021, we hope this article will help shed light not only on what goes on during the program but also
Talking with an experienced mentor can help you validate your assumptions and avoid common pitfalls, which cost you both money and time (you don’t have). In your journey in the online pre-accelerator, a lead mentor will be by your side every step of the way. Let’s find out more about this role 👇 Who are the lead mentors? The StepFWD lead mentors are experienced entrepreneurs or people who have been
This article is one of the 8-part series of evergreen topics that all startup founders face. It is based on what the mentors actually teach startups during the StepFWD pre-accelerator. Our thanks go to Gv Freeman, Founder Coach & Growth Strategist, for helping founders efficiently sell their products. Sales primer If we assume that we are living in the fantasy world of the “10 easy steps to completely achieve X”,
My experience as a founder consists of two startups: the first one, Appticles, which we closed in 2018, and the 2nd one – MorphL, which Algolia acquired in January 2021. The first startup was … let’s say that my co-founder Ciprian Borodescu and I made many mistakes. After raising a small seed round at the beginning of 2014, we failed to generate enough revenue or secure a follow-on investment. After
Starting the path of entrepreneurship could be very challenging at first but also very rewarding and exciting. There is no end to the struggle, starting with the financial aspect and marketing all the way to customer development and running your company. But remember, you’re not alone. Search for qualitative advice from people that have been through the same challenges as you. Search for a support system that helps you gain
Our #StepFWDAlumniEpic Visits, co-founded by entrepreneurs Raluca Jianu, Mihai Bârsan, Bogdan Jianu and Emanuel Pasat, starts on July 8 a crowdfunding campaign on SeedBlink. Epic Visits is a self-service travel platform where travelers can create their special getaways based on their style and preferences. The platform is for those who need inspiration for memorable travels and are looking for solutions that suit their lifestyle. A hybrid between a travel agency and a booking platform, Epic Visits
This article is one of the 8-part series of evergreen topics that all startup founders face. It is based on what the mentors actually teach startups during the StepFWD pre-accelerator. Our thanks go to Ciprian Borodescu, Head of Algolia (AI R&D) Romania, for helping founders efficiently raise their next investment round. Fundraising primer Before starting to think about getting an investment, you need to first decide why you want to
This article is one of the 8-part series of evergreen topics that all startup founders face. It is based on what the mentors actually teach startups during the StepFWD pre-accelerator. Our thanks go to Monica Obogeanu, Startup Programs Manager at Orange, and, Alexandra Anghel, Director of AI Engineering at Algolia, for helping founders efficiently develop their product. Product development primer Product development, in general, is closely linked to customer development,
This article is one of the 8-part series of evergreen topics that all startup founders face. It is based on what the mentors actually teach startups during the StepFWD pre-accelerator. Our thanks go to Andra Zaharia, Content marketer for cybersecurity companies, and Irina Scarlat, Builder on leave, Uber & Revolut Alumna, for helping founders efficiently market their startup. Product marketing primer Before we start talking about why product marketing is
Licenseware develops an ecosystem of software license management applications. We help companies reduce their costs and turn the risk associated with using enterprise software into growth opportunities. Our solution makes it easy to make quick and informed decisions and allows organizations to control how they buy and use the software. Since its launch in 2020, Licenseware signed the first contract with a big client and graduated from the How To Web and StepFWD accelerators. Licenseware,