← Beyond Demo Day: An Update on TechStars Alumni

Business accelerator program

By Marcia Wade Talbert | Published June 18, 2012 | Full size is 619 × 478 pixels

Startup accelerator programs, as the name suggests, provide budding companies with any number of resources, from mentorship to free office space to connections with big-time investors. TechStars, which has five program locations throughout the U.S., boasts itself as the No. 1 startup accelerator in the world. It selects around 10 companies for each program location out of thousands of applicants. TechStars invests around $100,000 in each company, and assists with public relations, e-commerce, and legal fees, among other perks. At the conclusion of a three-month mentorship program is “Demo Day,” where these chosen few have the chance to pitch their startups to a room filled with hundreds of investors, potential clients, and media. Last Thursday was Demo Day for TechStars NYC’s Spring 2012 program, and 13 companies have just joined the exclusive group of TechStars alumni. Here we look at seven black founders who have also gone through the program.--Ashley Calloway

Startup accelerator programs, as the name suggests, provide budding companies with any number of resources,…