Techstars, Stanley Black & Decker launch the sixth iteration of its Techstars Founder Catalyst program

A pre-seed investor with an aim to empower entrepreneurs through access to capital has teamed up with a household name and global leader in tools and outdoor equipment. Together, they launched an innovative new pre-accelerator program for founders in the mid-Atlantic.

The launch of the ten-week Techstars Founder Catalyst program isn’t the first time that Techstars and Stanley Black & Decker sought startups from Baltimore and beyond for an accelerator-related program. During the Techstars Equitech Accelerator cohort wrap-up in April, UpSurge Baltimore’s CEO Jamie McDonald hinted at the forthcoming partnership.

“We had a different program with Stanley last year that came to an end, and we’re excited to announce a new founder catalyst program,” she said at the time. “This program will focus on earlier-stage founders than the group you’re meeting tonight. It will be launched in the fall and will provide UpSurge with continuous, year-round acceleration in collaboration with Techstars.”

Applications are now open for the Techstars Founder Catalyst program, sponsored by Stanley Black & Decker. Eligible founders can be from Maryland, DC, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York — a region more broadly defined as the “mid-Atlantic.” Founder Catalyst Program Manager Audra Gibson said the program’s objective is “to provide founders with supportive resources to prepare them to be ready to move forward toward the next level.”

“These are founders and startups we see a lot of potential in, but who need a little more development before they are ready for the accelerator level,” she added.

While the Techstars Equitech Accelerator, managed by Adam Phillips in the Baltimore area, represents the assumed next level, Gibson clarified that “the Techstars Accelerator programs are separate from Techstars Founder Catalyst pre-accelerator programs.” She described the pre-accelerator programs as a resource bridge that Techstars has established between those founders at the level of Startup Weekend (set to happen in Texas this September), offering foundational entrepreneurial education and interaction; and the accelerator programs, which are tailored for more advanced founders that typically achieved their product-market fit and are ready to accelerate.

Prospective applicants have the option to sign in using LinkedIn or create a new account.

Apply for the Techstars Founder Catalyst Program

According to the Techstars website, Techstars has partnered with JP Morgan on prior Founder Catalyst program cohorts in Atlanta, DC, Miami, and Oakland. Through those cohorts, it successfully supported over 80 graduates.

“Techstars is also leaning toward the importance of Ecosystem Development as a whole for elevated impact in a variety of regions, including Baltimore and Washington D.C.,” the site read. “We hope that our programs are a vital resource within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, but also that founders thrive even more when they are surrounded by a community of stakeholders who are excited to see them succeed.”

Gibson further highlighted the significance of ecosystem stakeholders in the Baltimore area via email.

“One of the reasons that Techstars is excited to be sourcing founders in the Baltimore area is that there are a number of ecosystem stakeholders there who fit this description,” she said. “Baltimore has a number of excellent educational institutions, startup events, coworking spaces, entrepreneurial service organizations and, of course, the Techstars Equitech Accelerator sponsored by another wonderful partner, UpSurge Baltimore.”

The pre-accelerator program is specifically designed to offer a comprehensive entrepreneurial education to a meticulously selected group of 20 participants. It will cover essential concepts that are vital for achieving startup success.

“Our long-standing goals have always been to drive both innovation impact and community impact,” Marty Guay, vice president of business development for Stanley Black & Decker, emphasized in a press release emailed to Technical.ly:

Founders accepted into the Techstars Founder Catalyst program will have the opportunity to engage with mentors from both the Techstars and Stanley Black & Decker networks. The program will span from October to December 2023. It will culminate in a final showcase event where founders will present their businesses, showcasing what the partnership hopes will amount to progress made throughout the program.

Learn more about the Techstars Founder Catalyst program

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Technical.ly editor Sameer Rao contributed to this report.