Why do I have to pay for this?
Many other startup accelerators take 5-10% equity in your startup. Last year, according to Crunchbase, the median seed financing startup valuation was $9.2 million, which means 7% of that is worth more than $600K. We think that’s ridiculous, and have developed a more founder-friendly model. You simply pay $4,500 to participate, and we take zero equity in your venture
What are you looking for in applicants?
Fundamentally, we’re looking for startups who we believe are likely to succeed, run by entrepreneurs who will benefit from our program. Equally important to us is admitting smart, passionate entrepreneurs who will “bring something to the party” and be additive to the cohort.
What other startups have been through your program?
We have had startups across many sectors go through the 4thly program and then go on to raise capital and succeed all over the world. See some of them.
What is the 4thly startup accelerator like?
Intense, and collaborative. It’s about immersion, learning from experts, pushing your venture forward, and creating what we hope are lifelong connections with the other entrepreneurs in the program.
What is the meeting schedule?
Typically, we hold an all-hands meeting via Zoom every Monday-Wednesday-Friday, 8am Pacific time, for an hour. Plus at least 1x/week your startup will have a 1:1 meeting with the 4thly team, working together on your venture. In addition, there are optional meetings during the week on specific topics. In addition, during the program the 4thly team is available to you for ad hoc meetings anytime, for any reason.
How are the all-hands meetings different from the 1:1 meetings?
The Monday meetings are typically a lecture from Bret that kicks-off the week. The Wednesday and Friday meetings are usually expert guest speakers on a particular topic. The 1:1 meetings are personal coaching for your startup, to work on whatever you want to work on for your venture.
Who are the guest speakers?
Experts such as a Silicon Valley attorney talking about startup law, marketing experts, venture capitalists, etc. You can see a list of some of them here.
How much of my time will this program require?
To get the most from the program, you need to be able to dedicate at least 15 hours/week to it. We recognize that everyone is busy, running your ventures and tending to family responsibilities, but this is an intensive program will require a chunk of your time.
Are the meetings optional?
No. The entire cohort will benefit if you attend the Monday-Wednesday-Friday all-hands meetings. We start at 8am PT sharp, and we will be done in one hour. We try to run a tight ship, because we know everyone is busy.
Are most participants solo founders, or founding teams?
We typically have a mix of both in each cohort. View past participants.
Since everyone in the program is remote, how does collaboration happen?
Zoom, Slack, and other digital collaboration tools. We create a dedicated Slack workspace for every cohort, and time zones begin to disappear as synchronous collaboration can happen around the clock. You’ll be surprised at how much bonding can happen a virtual program like this.
What’s the Demo Day all about?
At the end of the Global Startup Accelerator program, we hold a Demo Day Showcase, where each startup delivers a pitch to an audience of venture capital investors and other business executives. Typically we have 150-200 people in attendance. It’s the culmination of the program, and for many startups it’s an important highlight.
What are 4thly’s guiding principles?
We are passionate about helping entrepreneurs thrive and succeed. We believe that entrepreneurship is the greatest opportunity engine in the world. And we believe in access to all, regardless of geography or socio economic background.