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 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Monday to Friday). If accepted, a student may have to reduce their class load or defer the semester to participate. 

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 Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.). 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 October 25, 2022. Our next application link is now live: https://gust.com/programs/western-accelerator-winter-2023 

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 in Late November 2022. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things, but one thing is for certain - we will continue to offer the same education, mentorship, funding, and community for founders through our accelerator program. 

Program Location (Coworking Space)

The Western Accelerator plans on returning to an in-person and on-campus experience for the Winter Cohort. While we may not be able to predict with absolute certainty what the COVID-19 situation will be like in the Fall, we hope that the program will be carried out on campus. A final decision regarding on-campus will be made in December 2022.

At least one founder must be in the space daily (Monday to Thursday), actively working on the business from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: Western University, Somerville House, Room 3366 

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 15-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 at our Entrepreneurship Centre (located Western Student Services Building, Second Floor, Room 2130). 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.

Fall Cohort (2022)

Applications open on June 24, 2022
Applications close on August 7, 2022

• Time of year: September 6 to November 30, 2022 
  • December - Entrepreneurs will still have access to the coworking space on campus, but no set programming is scheduled in December. 
• Business Stage: Growth and Scaling 
• Program tailored towards Western alumni and researchers
• Funding amount: $12,000
• Program time: 4 months (12-15 weeks)

Winter Cohort (2023) 

Applications open on September 22, 2022
Applications close on October 25, 2022

• Time of year: January to April 2023
• Business Stage: Growth and Scaling 
• Program tailored towards Western alumni, MBAs and researchers
• Funding amount: $12,000
• Program time: 4 months (12-15 weeks)

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.