Startup accelerators and incubators are an excellent resource for entrepreneurs seeking the funding and guidance they need to successfully launch their business, and Colorado has a wide range of excellent accelerators and incubators to choose from.
From nationally-recognized programs that have made hundreds of investments and exits to smaller, local programs, let’s take a look at some of the best startup incubators and accelerators in the Centennial State.
Startup Incubators and Accelerator Programs in Colorado
In no particular order, we’ve curated some of the top startup incubator and accelerator programs in Colorado.
1. Techstars Boulder
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
- Best For: All Startups
- Funding Amount: Up to $120,000
The Techstars Boulder accelerator program is a three-month program that provides mentorship, resources, and funding to early-stage startups. The program is designed to help entrepreneurs accelerate the growth of their businesses by providing access to a network of experienced mentors, industry experts, and investors.
With its focus on a diverse range of industries and its highly selective admissions process, Techstars Boulder is a great choice for entrepreneurs looking to take their startups to the next level.
2. Boomtown Accelerators
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
- Best For: Sports Tech Startups, Health Tech Startups
- Funding Amount: None
If your Colorado startup is seeking assistance developing innovative new products and services, the innovation platforms offered by Boomtown Accelerators are an excellent option to consider. Startups that are accepted to this program will receive a customized, professionally-managed innovation platform designed to expedite the development of game-changing products and services.
With more than a century of combined experience leading complex, global projects, the Boomtown Accelerators team offers the expertise that startup founders need to bring truly innovative products to market. Companies in its portfolio include DocQ, StrideTech Medical, and Proxii.
3. Innosphere Ventures
- Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
- Best For: Biotech Startups, Cleantech Startups
- Funding Amount: None
Innosphere Ventures was founded in 1999 and has since helped hundreds of startups grow and succeed. The organization focuses on supporting startups in industries such as bioscience, cleantech, energy, advanced materials, hardware, software, and digital health. Innosphere offers two incubator programs in life sciences and cleantech as well as an accelerator offered in partnership with University of Colorado.
In addition to its incubator and accelerator programs, Innosphere Ventures provides a range of other services to its members, including access to laboratory and prototyping facilities, mentorship and advisory services, marketing and branding support, and access to industry events and conferences.
4. Arc Capital Development
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- Best For: B2B Startups
- Funding Amount: None
Founded in 2004, Arc Capital Development has assisted more than 150 international and domestic startups. Education is the primary industry that the program focuses on, but workplace development is another industry of focus.
Arc Capital Development provides a variety of services to startups accepted into its program, including go-to-market planning, business coaching services, and revenue diagnostics. Some of the more well-known companies in their portfolio include ClassHero, Cubby, and ChalkTalk.
5. Fulcrum Venture Accelerator
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
- Best For: Seed Startups
- Funding Amount: None
Fulcrum Venture Accelerator is a platform built for startup founders to provide valuable education and resources surrounding startup fundraising. The group specializes in follow-on funding, making it ideal for startup founders that have already acquired funding for their company. So far, the company has helped over 100 founders secure more than $60 million in follow-on funding.
6. Exponential Impact
- Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Best For: Tech Startups, Software Startups
- Funding Amount: None
Exponential Impact offers three accelerator programs based on the growth stage of your startup. This includes the XI Seed program, the XI Start program, and the XI Scale program. Depending on the program that you choose, you can expect to complete either a 10-week or 12-week curriculum that includes one-on-one mentoring, weekly wellness checks, and coworking space. The programs cost between $499-$999.
7. ICELab
- Location: Gunnison, Colorado
- Best For: Small Businesses
- Funding Amount: None
ICELab is an innovation and business resource center located in Gunnison, Colorado. Along with access to co-working space and private office space, ICELabs also offers a startup incubator program called ICELab Incubator.
The five-week incubator program focuses on supporting startups located in Gunnison County. In addition to the ICELab Incubator, ICELab also offers a Moosejaw Outdoor Accelerator that is designed to boost outdoor industry startups in the area. The cost of the program is $500.
8. Warehouse Business Accelerator
- Location: Loveland, Colorado
- Best For: Manufacturing Startups
- Funding Amount: None
The Warehouse Business Accelerator is designed to help startup founders in Northern Colorado successfully scale their companies via support from expert mentors. This program is targeted at startups in the manufacturing and technology industries.
Along with a great accelerator program, the Warehouse Business Accelerator also provides founders with access to the Warehouse Innovation Hub. This facility features production floor spaces, comfortable meeting rooms, access to shared resources, plug-and-play industrial infrastructure, a loading dock, and more.
9. Startup Colorado
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
- Best For: Idea Stage Startups, Rural Entrepreneurs
- Funding Amount: $1,000-$3,000
Startup Colorado is a community for startup founders, their program, the Founder Coopetition, is built for rural entrepreneurs to scale their business through two programs: the Idea Factory and Growth Challenge. Early-stage founders start with the four-week Idea Factory program which helps early-stage entrepreneurs build on their proven business concepts. This includes a pitch competition at the end of the program wherein the top three pitches receive between $1,000-$3,000.
After entrepreneurs have completed the Idea Factory program, they are able to join the Growth Challenge. This second stage program helps entrepreneurs to build on the initial concepts learned at the Idea Factory to help ready them to go to market and scale.
10. Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
- Best For: Deep Tech, Healthtech Startups
- Funding Amount: None
Offered by the University of Colorado Boulder, the Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator is an entrepreneurial training program built for tech startups innovating in science and engineering. The program offers startups robust mentorship and education opportunities as well as access to Venture Partners staff.
Throughout the four month program, founders will learn important information about formation, go-to-market, finance, and fundraising. At the end of the program, participants pitch their startups to a group of investors, researchers, and community members.