VentureScaleUp Spring 2017 Application

VentureScaleUp (VSU) is an Orlando mentorship-driven advanced business accelerator. VSU identifies, nurtures, and accelerates high-growth entrepreneurs with the objective of creating more investable opportunities in Florida.

At VSU, startups identify and focus on promising customer segments and secure significant partnerships and resources. VSU provides mentorship, strategic advice, and inspiration through its network of role models, investors, and C-suite executive mentors, advisors, and connectors. These executives have built startups that have scaled. VSU offers entrepreneurs extensive access to Florida angel, seed, and early-stage capital funding sources. These relationships open the doors to funding.

VSU launched its first program in August 2015 at the Catalyst coworking space in downtown Orlando. Since Fall 2015 three cohorts totaling 17 startups have completed the VSU program. Those companies have raised an aggregate of over $1.6M since completing the program and are well on their way to scaling. In addition, two of the companies have subsequently been accepted into Techstars accelerator programs. VSU was recognized with a SBA Growth Accelerator Award in 2015 (1 of only 80 in the US).

Spring 2017 Program
• 8 week program: 17 April to 13 June 2017
• No cost to participating startups. Attendance at all workshops and seminars is mandatory.
• Programming every week on Monday and Tuesday (allows companies not resident in Orlando to drive in and participate each week)
• Content
o Monday night workshops on planning to scale, focus, markets and competition, team organization and growth, financial planning, capital acquisition, and pitching
o Tuesday lunch seminars on building team values, customer acquisition, talent, managing cash flow, negotiations, and raising capital
o Tuesday afternoon one-on-one sessions with Florida seed and early-stage investors
o Continuous one-on-one mentoring throughout and beyond the duration of the program
• Startups are provided workspace at no cost at Catalyst Workspaces coworking space for the duration of the program.
• Startups will pitch to an investor-only private pitch event on 3 June.

VSU works with startups that have: 1) a product or service that solves a problem for a specific customer segment, 2) a functional prototype, 3) a cross-functional team, and 4) demonstrated traction in a growing market. VSU obtains recommendations from Florida seed and early-stage investors, incubators, and pitch competitions.