Techstars New Orleans powered by J.P. Morgan

This program is designed to provide equitable access to funding and support for Black, Hispanic and Latino, Indigenous American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs who are building the future of Commerce Technology, Consumer Brands and Platforms, the Creator Economy and ClimateTech. Through game-changing investment community partnerships, together we will take steps towards dismantling institutional, structural, and systematic barriers that often limit opportunities.

• We fund technology oriented companies, typically these are web-based or other software companies, but we’ve funded companies that don’t quite fit that mold as well. We’re also looking for companies that can have national or worldwide reach. Specifically, we don’t fund biotechnology companies, restaurants, consultancies, or other local service oriented companies.
• We fund all types of startups, working in all verticals, using any type of business models. Do keep in mind, however, that our focus is on startups rather than small businesses.
• We do our best to avoid accepting competitive companies into the same program class. However, with the growing number of Techstars companies, there may be competitive companies in the broader Techstars network. In the event there is a company in the Techstars portfolio that’s competitive, we work tirelessly to ensure there is no exchange of sensitive data.

We look at team, team, team, market, progress, idea—in that order.

We choose great founders who are proposing products that solve real problems or create meaningful innovations. For us, it’s about the team. For this reason, we’re less likely to accept single founder companies (you’re less likely to have all the skills your company needs to succeed). The best things you can do to strengthen your application are:

• Round out your team with business, technical, and other necessary skills;
• Make progress on your prototype or product and reference it in the application;
• Show us you’ve really thought about your business and have gotten out there to do something about it;
• Demonstrate early traction or provide data points to validate your core assumptions.

Upon acceptance to a Techstars Accelerator, Techstars contributes $20,000, which is commonly used as a stipend to support living expenses during the program, and in return receives 6% equity of the company (on a fully diluted basis, issued as common stock) until the company raises a priced equity financing of US $250,000 or more (a “Qualified Financing”). However, if a company conducts a Network Launch using distributed ledger technology (i.e. a blockchain initial coin offering, token event, etc.), then Techstars will also receive 6% of the Token Reserve (i.e. the tokens “held back” for the founders and the company at Network Launch). In addition, all accepted companies are offered a $100,000 convertible note.

Each company also receives:

• Access to Techstars resources for life
• Acceleration in a 90-day Techstars program with intense, hands-on mentorship from Techstars Mentors
• Connections to the Techstars Network of over 10,000 founders, alumni, and mentors globally
• 120+ perks and growing
• Office space for three months (unless you are participating in a virtual program)
• Demo Day and other investor connections
• Equity Back Guarantee, the only one of its kind in our industry