Guide to Birmingham’s Tech Startup Community: Accelerator and Incubator Programs
Are you new to Birmingham’s tech startup community? Our last guide featured some of our favorite in-person networking events, which we hope we can safely return to soon. Here, we’ve showcased some of the programs in Birmingham that are helping transform tech startups into successful companies.
Accelerators:
Velocity, the OG accelerator in Birmingham that began in 2016, is the Innovation Depot’s accelerator program for tech startups that helps companies make “a year of progress in 3 months”. Ten companies each cohort receive $50K of funding in exchange for 6% equity, 13 jam-packed weeks of mentorship and pitch practice, as well as connections to entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate partners from across the southeast. The final challenge is a demo-day where founders pitch to investors to qualify for follow-up funding. Their application is open now until 10/31.
Upcoming cohort dates: January 25th, 2021- April 2021
Bronze Valley is a free, seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. The Bronze Valley Accelerator focuses on supporting female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color and is a program of nationally-ranked startup accelerator, gener8tor. Their inaugural cohort began in October 2020.
Current cohort program dates: October 1st, 2020-November 20th, 2020
Techstars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator is a 13-week program that focuses on helping startups addressing innovative electrical and utility solutions take their company to the next level with daily programming and mentorship. Their experiences over three months build-up to Demo-day, a public pitch event.
Current cohort program dates: September 8th, 2020- December 3rd, 2020
ScaleUp Birmingham is a 6-month, non-dilutive program for entrepreneurs with strong product-market fit and exceptional year over year growth. Selected entrepreneurs are plugged into global entrepreneurship nonprofit Endeavor’s regional network for hyper-curated, highly tactical mentorship from entrepreneurs, investors, and operators who have been in their shoes. Participants also benefit from monthly roundtables with their local cohort, designed and implemented in partnership with an executive coach to help them navigate the dynamic challenges of high growth entrepreneurship.
Current cohort program dates: June – November 2020; Applications for 2021 open January 1st
Incubators:
Elevate is the Innovation Depot’s incubator program that provides entrepreneurs with shared resources, programming, networking opportunities, and a community of peers to help them build their businesses. The Depot is the heart of Birmingham’s startup community and prides itself on being the largest incubator in the Southeast with 140,000 square feet of office and lab space.
UAB’s Anvil Student Startup Bootcamp is open to UAB students from any major or graduate program, and is a free 10-week program that provides mentorship, coaching, and curriculum designed to help entrepreneurs launch a business. UAB Anvil has helped launch 15 student-run ventures. Collectively, these businesses have generated $2.1 million in sales, won $201,000 in competitions and grants, and raised $1.1 million in investment capital.
BGV Connect is Black Girl Ventures’ incubator that offers monthly memberships to accelerate women to economic advancement via community, education, and leadership. Black Girl Ventures is based in Washington, D.C. and opened a chapter in Birmingham in 2019. The BGV Connect Incubator is for Black/Brown women-identifying entrepreneurs and business leaders who are innovating and dedicated to leveling up their vision, idea, or business. Currently, there are 675 members of the online incubator.
