An 8-week pre-accelerator for underrepresented entrepreneurs
Rise is Colorintech’s pre-accelerator program that puts entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds through an 8-week program. The program is made up of workshops, lectures, and office hours covering a range of invaluable content for early-stage entrepreneurs. The aim is to help founders accelerate their ideas, learn best practices while gaining access to a community of fellow founders, investors, and experts.
Workshops in the evenings and weekends
Learn from experienced operators and successful investors
Pitch your startup to leading early stage investors and accelerators
Designed in collaboration with industry partners, our program is specifically for pre-seed founders
We uncover the highs and lows of the startup journey and techniques you can use to recognise stress and build resilience
Understand the building blocks of creating a minimum viable product and getting feedback from users
Learn the value of storytelling and the components of a great pitch
Explore how to build relationships with customers, co-founders and employees
“Even though I've been part of a founding team before, I've never taken the lead in fundraising and pitching. Rise has given me the confidence and the platform to pitch live, learn fundraising basics, and share my story for the first time.”
All the dates you need to know
Selected students have the opportunity to join our Immersion trek where they will go to one of the leading tech hubs in Europe or the US
Most of our workshops take place online. However, our final sprint will be an in-person residential in London and our Showcase event will also be in-person. If you are outside of London, we will support you to be able to attend these events (travel and other expenses).
The CEO or main founder should apply, if multiple founders are from underrepresented backgrounds. Otherwise, only a founder fitting our criteria should apply. More than one person from the same startup should not apply.
We are looking for founders actively working on an idea at MVP or early-product stage. If you are still at the ideation stage, we would love to direct you to our free Rise Online course, you can find all the basics for building a venture here, rise.colorintech.org.
The Rise Accelerator is designed for underrepresented entrepreneurs with a tech startup, who identify as belonging into one or more of the underrepresented groups including gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability, and other.
Yes. If you already have a startup it means we can tailor our workshops around your actual business. We also can make the right introductions to our network of investors and mentors. So long as you fit our criteria, you can apply.
Applications are open for around 5 weeks starting from 7th December. The programme runs from 28th Feb until the end of May 2023.
We will support you on this programme to get funded and take the next steps with your startup. We'll have more programmes, events, and opportunities you could be invited to, and other new systems you'll be able to take advantage of. But whatever happens next, you'll join our extended Colorintech family of entrepreneurs and advisers and be invited to alumni events.
No and we have no plans to ever ask for some in the future. Colorintech is a registered non profit and our only objective is to help underrepresented entrepreneurs on their journey.
The program is free. If you would like to support Colorintech financially please contact us.
Given the content of the program and the instructors expertise, we believe those who would like to develop tech enabled businesses would gain the most from the program.
No. We want to make this program inclusive and open to people from a breadth of underrepresented backgrounds regardless of age. However, you must be 18+ to apply.
Here’s a list of our top 12 VCs that have shown some commitment to supporting diverse founders.
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Here’s a list of our top 12 VCs that have shown some commitment to supporting diverse founders.
Listen...
Watch...
Read...
Download...
Here’s a list of our top 12 VCs that have shown some commitment to supporting diverse founders.
Listen...
Watch...
Read...
Download...
Our Rise accelerator for founders has had a number of cohorts over the years - here is Erika Clifford's journey juggling business and motherhood.
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Our Rise accelerator for founders has had a number of cohorts over the years - here is Erika Clifford's journey juggling business and motherhood.
Listen...
Watch...
Read...
Download...
Our Rise accelerator for founders has had a number of cohorts over the years - here is Erika Clifford's journey juggling business and motherhood.
Listen...
Watch...
Read...
Download...
In the leadup to our 2023 Rise Accelerator programme, here is some pitching advice for our founder community.
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In the leadup to our 2023 Rise Accelerator programme, here is some pitching advice for our founder community.
Listen...
Watch...
Read...
Download...
In the leadup to our 2023 Rise Accelerator programme, here is some pitching advice for our founder community.
Listen...
Watch...
Read...
Download...