Program
StepFWD is an 8-week pre-accelerator program, aimed at fueling growth for tech companies with diverse teams.
Applications will open soon for the 2021 Cohort
Purpose
Our purpose is to educate first-time and early-stage entrepreneurs who want to grow a prototype or idea into a profitable business. The program is powered by TechHub Bucharest, in partnership with Google for Startups.
Focus
We focus on building confidence for first-time founders that can benefit the most from building a relationship with experienced mentors and investors.
Program Schedule
The StepFWD program is structured over an 8 weeks time span. During each week we will have workshops and mentoring sessions
with different topics. All workshops will be delivered by the founders of established startups and
seasoned industry professionals.
Your startup will be paired with a lead mentor that will advise and guide you for the duration of the program.
Activities Overview
We designed StepFWD with first-time founders in mind – as a journey that takes you through different areas of expertise which are absolutely required in a start-up.
Workshops
Workshops provide a 360-degree view on topics related to building a startup, such as customer & product development, business models, marketing, sales, startup legal mechanics, fundraising and pitching.
Hands-on Sessions
Mentors give feedback on workshops assignments. Startups will be divided into 2 groups. Each startup will have 30 min to discuss the feedback and can (optionally) listen to feedback given to other startups from their group.
1-on-1 with Lead Mentors
Each Tuesday or Wednesday, startups will meet their designated lead mentor and StepFWD PMs for a 30 min call, to talk about last week's progress and set up the plan for next week.
Pitch Practice
Rehearse and improve your pitch with mentors and the StepFWD team. These sessions will help you achieve the perfect presentation at Demo Day.
Speed Mentoring
Engage with a lot of mentors in a back-to-back meetings format. These meetings are designed to be short and to the point, so you'll have to show your startup's potential in a time-effective manner.
All-hands meetings
All-hands meetings take place with the whole cohort and StepFWD team. During these meetings, everyone will share their highs and lows of the week.
Roundtables
Social activities for building connections with mentors and the StepFWD alumni, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Share highs, lows and lessons learned.
Virtual Coffee
We start the week with a 30 min virtual coffee, where all the startups can share their updates for the week and also have some fun!
Demo Day
Mentors, investors, community partners, corporates, press attendees are invited together with the broader community to the final event. Each startup will showcase its product and business in a 5 min pitch.
Demo Day
The program wraps up with Demo Day, an event where the participating teams will showcase their products and businesses in a 5 min pitch.
Applications are closed
Applications for the 2021 Cohort will open soon.