Techstars

Techstars is a globally recognized mentorship-driven startup accelerator and pre-seed venture capital firm founded in 2006 and officially incorporated in late 2006 by David Cohen, David Brown, Brad Feld, and Jared Polis. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, where its first accelerator class launched in the summer of 2007, the organization has since expanded its footprint to more than 150 countries, building one of the most extensive entrepreneurial networks in the world. The company operates at the intersection of venture capital, startup acceleration, and community development, offering a suite of programs designed to support founders at every stage of their entrepreneurial journey. Its flagship offering is a three-month, mentorship-driven accelerator program that provides participating startups with capital investment, structured mentorship from industry leaders, and access to a vast global network of founders, investors, and corporate partners. Mentors affiliated with the network come from leading organizations including Google, Nike, Amazon, HubSpot, Stripe, Aetna, ESPN, and Coca-Cola, among others. Since its inception, Techstars has accelerated thousands of companies across virtually every technology-related vertical, with portfolio alumni including notable unicorns such as Chainalysis, Zipline, DataRobot, and Alloy, as well as high-profile companies like SendGrid, DigitalOcean, and PillPack. More than 125 Techstars accelerator companies have achieved market capitalizations exceeding $100 million, and the total lifetime capital raised by portfolio companies stands at over $32.1 billion. Approximately 74 percent of Techstars companies raise external capital within the first three years following program participation, with an average first raise exceeding $1 million post-accelerator. Beyond its core accelerator, Techstars operates supplementary programs including Founder Catalyst, a ten-week pre-accelerator designed to help early-stage founders build the tools, skills, and networks needed to qualify for formal acceleration. Startup Weekend, originally created in 2007 and later incorporated in 2009, is a three-day event format enabling aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch ideas, form teams, and prototype early-stage companies. Startup Week is a city-based celebration of entrepreneurship featuring keynote sessions, pitch competitions, and community programming. The organization also manages Techstars Ventures, its dedicated venture fund launched in 2009, and partners with corporations, universities, governments, and startup communities to co-create innovation ecosystems and drive industry-specific entrepreneurship initiatives. Founders participating in Techstars programs gain access to perks and resources valued at more than $4 million. The organization operates under a core philosophy called Give First, emphasizing support for entrepreneurs and community members without transactional expectations, fostering long-term relationships across its global network of more than 11,000 founders and mentors worldwide.