11 Weeks.
Real Traction.
An intensive cohort for early-stage founders who are done theorizing and ready to build a company investors will back.
We cover everything you need to get to your next milestone — from product-market fit to a fundable pitch — in a high-accountability, small-cohort format.
No cost to founders — this is a nonprofit program
11-Week Curriculum
Built around momentum.
Every week has a deliverable. Every deliverable moves you closer to the close.
Connection
In Person · Richmond, VAStart together in Richmond. Welcome dinner with the Board, lead mentor lunch, your first pitch practice, and a community social with 200+ members of the local startup ecosystem.
Strategic Mentor Meetings
Virtual8–10 curated one-on-one sessions with Lighthouse mentors across industries, tailored specifically to your company's challenges and opportunities.
Human Potential & Capital
VirtualFounder emotional health, innovation methods, and hiring and compensation strategy. The human side of building a company — taken seriously.
Market Positioning
VirtualDifferentiation strategy, customer journey mapping, and market validation. Learn how to stake out a defensible position in a crowded market.
Marketing
VirtualBrand strategy and story development. Build a narrative that connects with your audience and moves them to act.
Finance & Fundraising, Part 1
VirtualA deep dive on fundraising fundamentals — crafting your pitch, identifying the right investors, and navigating the capital landscape.
Finance & Fundraising, Part 2
VirtualAccelerating due diligence, sales communication, and a tactical fundraising work session where each company reviews their current strategy one-on-one.
Workshop Week
VirtualPitch deck refinement and mentor office hours on topics chosen by the cohort. Hands-on, specific, and immediately actionable.
Scaling
VirtualScaling vs. raising, board engagement, and IP strategy. The hard decisions that come with growth — covered before you're forced to make them.
What's Next
VirtualFinal pitch practice, investor prep, and an honest conversation about failure, exits, and what life looks like after the program ends.
Graduation
In Person · Richmond, VADemo Day with 200+ ecosystem stakeholders followed by an invite-only Investor Dinner. Leave with warm introductions, recognition, and real momentum.
In the Room
Small cohort. High accountability.
The Accelerator is intentionally small. You're not in a lecture hall — you're in a room where everyone knows your business and every session moves you forward.
In-person weeks in Richmond open and close the program. The virtual weeks in between are structured, facilitated, and built around real deliverables — not passive learning.
What you leave with.
Eleven weeks is short. That's the point. We force prioritization. You leave with what you actually need, not a list of things to do later.
- A tested, refined pitch — practiced multiple times with real feedback
- Warm investor introductions through Demo Day and an Investor Dinner
- A lead mentor relationship that often continues long after the program
- Connections across the Richmond and Northern Virginia startup ecosystems
- Lifetime access to the Lighthouse Network alumni community
- A conversation about further founder development, including Fellowship availability and fit
Who it's for.
Stage
Pre-seed or seed. You have something to show but not yet the traction investors want to see.
Commitment
Full-time on this company. The Accelerator requires your primary focus for 11 weeks.
Mindset
You want to be challenged, not coddled. You'll receive candid feedback and hold yourself accountable to real milestones.
2027 applications are closed.
The 2027 cohort runs March 2 through May 14. The application deadline was October 2, 2026, with space limited to 10 founders.
The Accelerator is offered at no cost to founders. Contact us with program questions or subscribe to updates for future opportunities.
Ask About the Accelerator