Western Accelerator

The Western Accelerator is a critical component of the entrepreneurship ecosystem at Western University. The program is open to Western alumni, faculty, staff, and students* with an expectation of a full-time commitment.

At least one founder must have a connection to Western (Student, Faculty, Staff or Alumni). 

*Western students can apply to the Western Accelerator. However, the program requires a full-time daily commitment from 10 AM - 4 PM (Monday to Wednesday). If accepted, a student may have to reduce their class load or defer the semester to participate. If students are not available full-time during this time, they will not be eligible for the program.

Eligibility Requirements

We look for teams who have a high potential to scale and who meet the following criteria:

• At least one founder must have a connection to Western (Alumni, Students, Faculty, or Staff).
  
  
• Teams must be willing to contribute a full-time effort in-person at Western University in London, Ontario (Monday to Wednesday from 10 AM to 4 PM). Teams must operate their business from the Western Accelerator coworking space located on campus.* 
  
  
• Teams can have up to three founders in the Western Accelerator coworking space. 
  
  
• Founders working out of the Western Accelerator must have decision-making ability. 
  
  
• Founders must participate in all the scheduled events, workshops, and competitions throughout their time in the program. 

Entrance to our program is a competitive process. We accept 6-8 teams per cohort (Fall and Winter).

There are two parts to the application for the Western Accelerator.

Stage 1

All teams are required to submit a written application via our GUST platform by the deadline.

You will be required to share/upload the following:

• Executive Summary
• Company Logo
• Company Website
• Team Picture
• Youtube Link to your 3-minute Investor Pitch Video
• Youtube Link to your 1-minute Marketing Video / Advertisement
• Investor Pitch Slide Deck - Below is a sample of the details we look for in your pitch deck. 

Stage 2

Applications are reviewed by an anonymous and diverse panel of Judges, the top-ranked teams will have the opportunity to pitch their business to a selection committee. In this round, each team will be given 5 minutes to pitch their startup, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.

Stage 3

If you've impressed our judges, you're in! We'll connect with you and collect some onboarding information.

Program Location (Coworking Space)

The Western Accelerator is an in-person and on-campus experience. At least one founder must be in the space daily (Monday to Wednesday), actively working on the business from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Location: Western University, Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Room 2200

Blended Learning

Weekly programming at the Western Accelerator will be taught either in-person or through a virtual format pending our mentor's availability. 

We accept 6 to 8 teams per cohort (Fall and Winter).

Entrance into the Western Accelerator is a competitive process. The Fall and Winter cohorts are for teams who have a 'Minimal Viable Product' (MVP) that is ready to go-to-market. These cohorts average a 13-14 week duration.

We look for startups who have completed product development and are ready to launch!

If you are still in the idea or build stage, you may not be a good fit for the Western Accelerator yet. Teams who are in the early stages can find great resources available for you via one-on-one coaching meetings.

Book a meeting with one of our Entrepreneurship Advisors here.

Competitive applications for the Western Accelerator are startups with high potential to scale (i.e. have intellectual property (IP) and/or have a clear competitive advantage addressing a large potential market). We also look for a founding team with the skills, ability, and determination to launch their product offering into the market.

As part of your Western Accelerator experience, you can expect to participate in a weekly workshop that will give you the education and real-world feedback that you need to launch your business.

Workshop topics can include:

• Value Proposition
• Design Thinking
• Startup Legal
• Digital Marketing
• Intellectual Property
• Accounting
• Sales
• Public Relations
• Leadership
• And more!

Curious to know what you might learn week-to-week in the Western Accelerator.

Check out our example program schedule. 

We're here to help. Send us an email at accelerator@ivey.ca.