ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – (Feb. 26, 2020) – Tampa Bay Innovation Center (TBIC), a business incubator and coworking entrepreneurial center, has opened applications to its accelerator program focused on company founders. Unlike most accelerator programs that focus on just preparing the pitch, the Challenge takes an “inside-out” approach with emphasis on product validation and go-to-market strategies.

The Pinellas County, St. Petersburg-based accelerator program, open to participants across the country, is mentor-driven and founder-focused. “Creating a product that meets a real and sustainable market need is the biggest challenge for start-up founders. The TBIC accelerator program focuses on validating the early adopter opportunities and testing market demand to build the credibility and confidence the founders need to be successful leaders of an emerging tech venture” says Ken Evans, managing director.

The program is:
• provided free-of-charge and no equity will be required
• offered in a series of 1 – 3 Day Workshops over 10/12 weeks
• focused on founders, leadership and being investor ready
• mentor-driven by serial entrepreneurs with successful exits
• designed to accommodate up to 10 companies per workshop
• celebrated with a demo/pitch event
To qualify for this accelerator program, applicants must:
• have a scalable tech venture
• be pre-seed, seed, and post-seed to Series A
• be post-minimal viable product/proof of concept
• have Capital <$2M
• consist of two or more team members

Complete information and application are available at : https://tbinnovates.com/entrepreneur-investment-challenge/.

The Accelerator was seeded by a grant from the City of St. Petersburg to establish an accelerator program. Early program supporters and community partners include Florida Blue, Pinellas County, the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, PitchLyst and Seedfunders. The first cohort consisted of seven early stage founders. They graduated with a Showcase demo at the Birchwood on January 14, 2020 followed by a Pitch Event at Synapse on February 11, 2020.

The Tampa Bay Innovation Center Entrepreneurship and Investment Challenge will run from April 28 through July 15, 2020. Graduates of the program will participate in the Challenge Event in early July to an audience of investors, community leaders, media and potential business partners/customers.

Applications are being accepted until March 22nd. To apply visit: https://tbinnovates.com/entrepreneur-investment-challenge/.

About Tampa Bay Innovation Center:
Tampa Bay Innovation Center supports entrepreneurial success, fosters the creation of high-tech jobs and develops new sources of technology and manufacturing capabilities by nurturing early stage ventures as they grow and launch their products into the marketplace. The Innovation Center offers programs that are tailored to the innovator/entrepreneur and address business intelligence, planning and business formation, strategy execution and technology transition.

Follow Tampa Bay Innovation Center on Twitter, www.twitter.com/tbinnovates, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tbinnovationcenter.

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