Founder Factory Stage 1 Pre-Accelerator – 2027 Cohort

About

Founder Factory Stage 1 Pre-Accelerator is a 10-week, milestone-driven program in Southeastern Wisconsin offering up to $15,000 in non-dilutive funding plus mentorship and commercialization support to help early-stage startups move toward follow-on funding.

Benefits

• 💰Funding
  Up to $15,000 per selected team in non-dilutive, milestone-based seed funding; funds are distributed in tranches based on milestone completion, and continued disbursement is contingent on active participation and satisfactory progress; not all teams may receive the full approved amount
• 🤝Mentorship
  Hands-on mentorship from experienced mentors, plus regular one-on-one meetings with staff, coaches, and mentors
• 📈Commercialization Support
  Structured 10-week program with weekly facilitated cohort sessions focused on business model development, founder readiness, customer discovery, market validation, and execution
• 📋Roadmap and Playbook
  Development of an actionable roadmap/playbook and an investor- or funder-ready presentation aligned with the company’s follow-on funding path
• 🌐Regional Network
  Access to a coordinated regional support network and preparation for follow-on funding pathways, which may include Stage 2, incubators or accelerators, equity investment, SBIR/STTR or other commercialization grants, or industry partnerships

Eligibility Criteria

• Legal Entity
• Mandatory requirement of a formed legal business entity, or one in place before the program begins
• Southeastern Wisconsin Base
• Mandatory requirement that the business is or will be based and registered in Southeastern Wisconsin
• Local Activity
• Mandatory requirement to demonstrate meaningful business activity in SE Wisconsin (e.g., employees, partners, customers, operations)
• Wisconsin Commitment
• Mandatory requirement of the intent to grow and retain business activity in Wisconsin
• Startup Stage
• Mandatory requirement of a startup or early-stage business with high-growth potential
• Team Size
• Mandatory requirement of 1 to 25 employees
• Prior Funding
• Mandatory requirement of no more than $100,000 in prior external funding (equity, commercialization grants, or similar), and bootstrapping is excluded
• Problem-Solution Fit
• Mandatory requirement of demonstrated early problem-solution fit and readiness to test, learn, and iterate
• Founder Commitment
• Mandatory requirement that at least one company founder can commit the time and effort to fully participate throughout the program
• Mentor Commitment
• Mandatory requirement that a mentor or coach can commit the time and effort to participate throughout the program
• Coachability
• Mandatory requirement of being open to coaching, feedback, and data-driven decision-making
• Ineligible Sectors
• Businesses whose primary activity is in real estate development, direct-to-consumer retail, or hospitality (including restaurants) are not eligible
• Ineligible Funding
• Companies with more than $100,000 in prior external commercialization funding (excluding research funding) are not eligible
• Mission Alignment
• Companies that do not align with Founder Factory’s mission of supporting scalable, investable ventures are not eligible
• Encouraged Applicants
• Applicants unsure whether they meet the criteria are encouraged to apply or reach out before the deadline
• Final Decision
• Final eligibility determinations are made by the Founder Factory review committee

Participation Commitments

• Active Participation
• Active participation is required throughout the 10-week program
• Founder Commitment
• At least one company founder must commit the time and effort to fully participate
• Mentor Commitment
• A mentor/coach must commit the time and effort to participate throughout the program
• Weekly Effort
• Teams should expect consistent weekly effort for program sessions, customer discovery interviews, milestone execution, and preparation of deliverables
• No Equity
• Stage 1 funding is described as non-dilutive and provided as a grant

Target Sector

Agriculture & Food, Defense & Security, Education, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Semiconductors & Electronics, Sports & Fitness, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Other

Target Location

Southeastern Wisconsin, United States. Applicants must have a formed legal business entity or will have one before the program begins; the business must be based and registered in Southeastern Wisconsin, demonstrate meaningful business activity in SE Wisconsin (e.g., employees, partners, customers, operations), and intend to grow and retain business activity in Wisconsin.