Venture Velocity Program
A dynamic, cohort-based program for early-stage founders to unlock essential skills, strategies, and insider insights for crushing your first venture capital fundraise. Set yourself—and your startup—up for rapid growth and funding success with a program built to accelerate your journey.
Venture Velocity Program
Venture Velocity isn’t just another startup accelerator; we’re an ecosystem of founders, mentors, and resources. Our program offers startups more than funding – we provide tailored support, long-term mentorship, and direct access to a network of successful founders and venture partners. Our cohort members are set up for sustainable success and impactful growth in the competitive startup ecosystem.
The program is tailored for high-growth potential founders who have not yet raised institutional capital. Ideal participants are early-stage entrepreneurs seeking to scale their ventures and improve their chances of securing venture capital funding.
Venture Velocity is an 8-week intensive learning program hosted at Union Hall. The curriculum explores venture capital, market targeting, sales, fundraising, team building, and investor readiness, all while building founder connections.
Participants in the program can expect to gain:
Participants have access to up to $250,000 in equity investment through Cintrifuse Capital, broken into two buckets ($50,000 at the start of the program and $50,000 upon completion). Startups will receive the $100,000 investment in exchange for 6% equity. Furthermore, cohort members will subsequently be eligible for an additional $150,000 investment, pending outside funding and alignment on terms.
If you’re a founder looking to break through growth barriers, secure your first round of institutional capital, and scale your startup, this is your chance. Our 9-week program offers personalized, hands-on mentorship from successful founders, up to $250K in investment, and access to a thriving community of mentors, investors, and resources. Apply now to join the ranks of Cincinnati’s most promising startups.
Application deadline: October 25, 2024
Program Duration: January 20 – March 21, 2025
Available spots: 5
Prior to getting started, we’ll make sure you and your cohort are ready to hit the ground running.
We’ll cover everything you need to know about venture capital as well who is a good fit for investment.
Understanding your customers, their needs and buying potential, will ensure your building a product with a future.
Discover how you can leverage brain science to improve your sales pitch and odds of closing.
Learn how to run an effective fundraising process, saving you time so that you can get back to growing your business.
Get the right team in place the first time by building your team like a startup veteran.
Interface with investors to get direct feedback on your pitch, and catch up on the latest venture market conditions
Interface with investors to get direct feedback on your pitch, and catch up on the latest venture market conditions
The startup should demonstrate a clear potential for scalability and market impact. This includes having a viable business model, a defined target market, and evidence of initial traction or customer interest.
Founders must be fully committed to participating in the 8-week program in-person at Union hall, including attending all sessions, actively engaging with mentors and peers, and implementing feedback to refine their business strategies.
The startup should offer a unique solution or product that addresses a significant market need or problem. Applicants should be able to clearly articulate what sets their venture apart from competitors.
Founder: Nicole Armstrong
Ellequate drives transformative improvements in employee experience and organizational health with a data-driven platform and rigorous third-party certification for workplace equity, helping small and midsize employers attract and retain talent.
Founder: Sharod Holmes
holm.site is the future of websites, a new way for modern entrepreneurs and creative professionals to establish their online presence through a mobile-first website building platform.
Founder: Kam Seabrook
Obai processes insurance claims after catastrophic storms with an innovative approach that leverages cutting-edge technology.
Founders: Dr. Glenn Platt, Dr. Russ Hammer
Lyceum AI is an in-class AI Teaching Assistant built by teachers for teachers. It engages students personally with teacher-informed insights and helps teachers effectively and efficiently manage their class time.
Founders: Chris Lee, Huzefa Dossaji, Jon Taylor
Airtrek Robotics makes airport ramp operations safer using autonomous robots. They are focused on advancing the future of airport ramp operations through continuous innovation, making them safer and more efficient.
8-week cohort program for early-stage founders looking to prepare for their first successful venture capital raise.
Application deadline: October 25, 2024
Program Duration: January 20 – March 21, 2025
Available spots: 5
8-week cohort program for early-stage founders looking to prepare for their first successful venture capital raise.
Application deadline: April 18, 2025
Program Duration: May 26 – July 25, 2025
Available spots: 5
The Venture Velocity Program is an 8-week startup accelerator based in Cincinnati, designed to help early-stage SaaS companies scale and secure their first round of institutional capital. With up to $250K in investment, founders receive personalized mentorship, access to investors, and a community of successful entrepreneurs. Venture Velocity focuses on preparing founders for venture capital fundraising through pitch coaching, sales strategy, and intensive support.
Founders of early-stage tech startups, particularly SaaS companies with a tested MVP,are eligible for the Venture Velocity Program. Ideal candidates should be seeking their first formal venture capital raise and ready to scale their business. We welcome companies that may be bootstrapped or have received funding from grants or pitch competitions.
Participants in the Venture Velocity Program benefit from up to $250K in funding, one-on-one mentorship from successful founders, pitch coaching, fundraising support, and access to a broad network of investors and industry leaders. The program offers a hands-on, community-driven approach, ensuring long-term relationship-building and deep engagement with the startup ecosystem.
Venture Velocity helps founders refine their pitch decks, develop comprehensive fundraising strategies, and connect with venture capital investors. Our hands-on approach includes personalized mentorship and guidance from experienced founders who have successfully raised capital and scaled businesses. Participants also gain access to investor networks to secure future funding rounds.
Beyond the core program components, participants have access to various resources, including:
These resources help participants optimize their operations and accelerate their growth.
Yes, the Venture Velocity Program is held in-person in Cincinnati. Our cohort-based model emphasizes the value of community building and deep engagement, which is best facilitated through face-to-face interactions. Participants are expected to attend on-site meetings, workshops, and mentor sessions.
There’s no shortcut to building a startup, and the same is true for effectively fundraising. While this intensive 8-week program will push you and require your focus, we recognize you have a company to run as well. We require that you fully dedicate Tuesdays to the program curriculum (9am – 5pm), along with a few hours of pre-work each week. The remainder of your time should be spent working on your business, including Thursdays which will be spent coworking with your cohort members at Union Hall (no curriculum)
Cintrifuse will run the Venture Velocity Program multiple times per year. This highly selective program will target 5 companies per cohort.
We help our Strategic Corporate Partners enhance their performance by using Startups as tools for Open Innovation. Strategic Venture and Connect Services leverage the tremendous network of our Syndicate Fund of Funds and its portfolio of cutting-edge Startups to enhance the innovation capacity of our Corporate Partners through collaboration and an external influx of knowledge and innovation.
If you are interested in unlocking the power of our network, please complete the following form, and we will be in touch within two business days.
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