San Antonio—Co-working space Geekdom and angel network Alamo Angels are launching a “pre-accelerator” program that gives mentorship and advice to San Antonio startups, which the organizations hope will help position young businesses to be accepted into accelerator programs or attract early stage investments.
Startups don’t have to pay to participate in the program, which is called the Geekdom Pre-Accelerator, nor are they required to surrender equity stakes in their companies. They do have to apply online, and the deadline is April 3.
Companies that get in will get to attend a weekly 3.5-hour session and meet one-on-one with the pre-accelerator’s various local business leaders, mentors, and investors each week. One of the startups will be selected to receive a $25,000 investment from Alamo Angels after the companies present at a demo day at the end of the program.
“San Antonio’s startup community is thriving, and we need more resources to prepare high-potential companies for funding,” Chris Burney, the executive director of Alamo Angels, said in a news release.
Geekdom has recently been adding more perks for the startups that rent space in its building in downtown San Antonio. It launched a community fund in January, which gives its 1,700 members the chance to win a $10,000 grant every month.
“During this program, early stage startups will receive mentoring to prepare them for investment opportunities or applications into top-tier accelerator programs,” said Luke Owen, co-director of the Geekdom Pre-Accelerator Co-Director, in a news release.
