AcceleratorEquity-free

Techstars Emory Founder Catalyst

Atlanta, GA, United States

A free Techstars-run pre-accelerator open to the Emory community.

Location:
Atlanta, GA, United States
Duration:
10 weeks

What you need to qualify

  • Open to the Emory community: undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff and alumni.
  • At least one Emory community member must sit on the venture's executive team.
  • Pre-funding: the venture must have raised less than $400k.
  • Founders should have domain expertise and a clear understanding of the customer problem.
  • For-profit ventures only. The programme states it currently focuses only on for-profit startup ventures seeking investment readiness.
  • At least one team member must commit to attending twice-weekly in-person sessions at Emory.

Eligibility

Eligible stages
All stages
Countries
Global, subject to the provider’s eligibility and approval

How to apply

  1. 1

    Confirm your Emory affiliation

    At least one member of the executive team must be an Emory undergraduate, graduate student, faculty member, staff member or alum. Without that the team does not qualify.

  2. 2

    Check the funding ceiling

    The venture must still be pre-funding, meaning it has raised less than $400k.

  3. 3

    Watch for the application window

    The programme page says applications typically release in October for the following spring cohort. For the 2026 cohort the window opened on October 30, 2025 and closed on December 5.

  4. 4

    Complete the online application when it opens

    The application is published on the Goizueta Startup Launch page when the window opens. The team notes it is worth completing even at idea stage because it forces the idea from a napkin to a page.

  5. 5

    Commit to the in-person schedule

    At least one team member has to attend twice-weekly in-person sessions across the ten weeks, which end with a Demo Day presentation.

Frequently asked

The whole Emory community: undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff and alumni. A team needs at least one Emory community member on its executive team to qualify.

No. The programme is free, and the organisers state they do not take any ownership of IP or equity in the teams in the programme.

Yes. The programme says completing the application will help you focus your idea and move it from a napkin to a page.

No. The accelerator currently focuses only on for-profit startup ventures seeking investment readiness.

Ten weeks, in person at Emory. The 2026 cohort ran from January 22 to April 23, 2026. The next round is Cohort 2027 and its dates are not yet published.

Applications typically release in October for the spring cohort. For the 2026 cohort they opened on October 30, 2025 and closed on December 5.
General

Related programs

We have not been able to confirm a deadline for this one. Check the official page before you start.

Do I qualify?

2 things decide this one. Check yourself against them before you spend time on the form.

Stage
Idea
Where it runs
United States. In person, so you need to be able to take part there
What you give up
No equity stated
Deadline
Not confirmed. Check the official page

That is the rulebook. What we cannot show you here is whether your startup clears it, how this ranks against the other programs you qualify for, and what to fix if you do not.

Check what I qualify for

Five questions, about a minute, no account needed.

Last verified against the official page. Report an error

Want these ranked for your startup?

Create a free profile and StartupFlow AI will score every program by fit and explain why each one matches you.

Get matched for free