Program
StepFWD is an 8-week pre-accelerator program, aimed at fueling growth for tech companies with diverse teams.
Applications are now open for the 2020 Cohort
Apply nowPurpose
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.
Timeline
June 15
Applications open
August 30
Applications close
Sept 28
Program kickoff
Nov 23
Demo Day
Program Schedule
The StepFWD program is structured over a 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.
The schedule below is subject to changes.
Week 1: Intro
Day 1
Program Kickoff (Orientation, elevator pitch practice)
Meet the lead mentors
Day 2
Speed mentoring practice
Roundtable: Meet the StepFWD'19 alumni
Week 2: Intro, Legal Mechanics, Business Models
Day 1
Workshop: Startup legal mechanics
Workshop: Business models
Day 2
Hands on: Startup legal mechanics
Hands on: Business models
Week 3: Customer & Product Development
Day 1
Workshop: Customer development
Workshop: Product development, product metrics
Day 2
Hands on: Customer development
Hands on: Product development, product metrics
Week 4: Sales & Marketing
Day 1
Workshop: Sales / Growth Hacking
Workshop: Product marketing
Day 2
Hands on: Sales / Growth Hacking
Hands on: Product marketing
Week 5: Fundraising & Pitching
Day 1
Workshop: Fundraising
Workshop: How to pitch
Day 2
Hands on: Fundraising
Hands on: How to pitch
Week 6: Break & Speed mentoring
Day 1
Roundtable: Serial entrepreneurs share their story
Speed mentoring
Week 7 & 8: Pitch practice & Speed mentoring
Day 1
Pitch practice: Refine pitch deck with mentors
Pitch practice with the StepFWD team
Day 2
Speed mentoring
Week 9: DemoDay
Pitch practice: Final rehearsal
Demo day
Ready to Apply?
Applications for the 2020 Cohort are open!
Apply now** To ensure the participants and mentors' safety, activities will take place online.
Other Benefits
Complementary to the workshops and hands-on meetings, we will have other weekly activities.
1-on-1
1-on-1 business & product consultancy through meetings with a lead mentor and the StepFWD team
NETWORKING
Social activities for building connections within the local startups ecosystem
PITCHING
Pitch practice sessions, helping you achieve the perfect presentation at Demo Day
Demo Day
The program wraps up with Demo Day, an event where the participating teams will showcase their products and businesses in a 5 minute pitch.