Harbor Accelerator
Get guaranteed investment from a $100k seed fund, free space, mentorship, curriculum, experts in marketing / accounting / law, and a huge pitch event in September. Know any start-ups ready to grow?
About
The Harbor Entrepreneur Center has opened the application process for the Harbor Accelerator program with some exciting changes this year. The 2022 Accelerator Cohort will stay in residence at the Harbor EC for a longer period of time than previous years, and all cohort companies will receive a small initial investment from a pool of $100,000 upon entering the program.
The April to September residency fosters an enhanced integration of the curriculum-driven program, mentorship by the Harbor EC’s tribe of proven entrepreneurs and subject-matter experts, and more time for the cohort companies to absorb and implement the wealth of advice they receive.
The Harbor Entrepreneur Center accepts eight companies each year into the Harbor Accelerator program. The cohort companies remain in residency at the Harbor EC, housed in the Epic Center on Sam Rittenberg Blvd. in Charleston, SC, for 24 weeks. During their residency they engage in a focused curriculum of 14 topics curated by the Harbor’s proven entrepreneurs, which includes training on subjects vital to the success of young companies like sales, marketing, finance, and team building. In addition they receive focused, hands-on mentoring by a cadre of founders of some of the region’s most successful companies, who are selected to provide the benefits of their experience based on the individual needs of each of the cohort companies. The mentors’ input is enhanced by the Harbor’s extensive list of subject-matter experts who can provide an “on-call” wealth of knowledge to solve the challenges unique to each cohort member. The experience is rounded out by repeated practice of a vital skill needed by all company leaders: The Pitch.
Harbor EC Executive Director Grady Johnson says, “This is a real win-win for the 2022 Accelerator Cohort and economic development in the region. The cohort will now have a more impactful experience at the Harbor culminating in September with the excitement of pitching at the 2022 Charleston Angel Conference for additional funding. The Charleston region will have an enhanced pipeline of young companies entering the market with the benefit of the experience and deep network of connections that are the bedrock of the Harbor Entrepreneur Center.”
The application deadline for the 2022 Cohort is March 3. Apply at www.harborec.com