Stage-One Pre-Accelerator
Take your idea, test it, validate it and get it market ready.
In just one day a week, for 8 weeks, our Stage-One Pre-Accelerator innovation programme helps you to validate assumptions and develop the critical foundations for market success.
Designed for ambitious early-stage founders or companies with an innovative new concept, this pre-accelerator helps you to become market ready and test the waters with your potential customers.
Stage-One Pre-Accelerator is free for Plus X Innovation members. New members are welcome, and you do not need to be a member to apply. Fully funded spaces are available (see below for details).
Applications are now closed. Please sign up to our mailing list to hear about our up coming programmes.
About the programme
A successful business doesn't come from having a great product.
A successful business comes from delivering the kind of product that the market is hungry for.
But do you know how to test the market? How do you refine your product or service so that it will be profitable and in demand? How can you make sure that what you are putting out resonates with your audience?
In this pre-accelerator, you’ll learn the lean startup approach - a tried and trusted set of tools and processes - to get you talking to customers, testing solutions and challenging your assumptions. So, you too can have the strongest chance of success.
The programme is intensive, hands-on and action based. Outside of 1-day weekly structured sessions, you will dedicate your time to working on your business and putting what you have learned into action.
Why join the Stage-One Pre-Accelerator?
- Understand the viability of your idea: to avoid the pitfalls and mitigate uncertainties by clarifying your product-market fit, so you have the strongest chance of success.
- Find your community: because a powerful network to lean on during your startup phase is critical to combat loneliness, confusion and avoid expensive mistakes.
- Learn from the best: with access to expertise and hands-on support from the Plus X Innovation team and a network of mentors, advisors, investors and experts.
- Open doors to industry, investors and research partners: via bespoke introductions to carefully curated connections who can help grow your business.
- Grow faster with 24/7 access to world-class innovation facilities: with full complimentary access to Plus X Innovation Brighton, including its prototyping workshop, podcast and media suites.
- Save yourself money: by learning the repeatable skills required for a successful business, avoiding the pain and cost of failures and high consultancy fees.
Key Elements
- Lean Startup Methodology: Using the principles of this globally used methodology, you will stretch the limits of your comfort zone, gain robust answers, and give you the skills you need to pivot.
- Customer Discovery: Explore diverse methods to uncover actionable feedback on your customers’ deepest needs, motivations and desires, and test your business idea with your target market.
- MVP: Assess and put your Minimum Viable Product to the test with real users to gather invaluable insights to iterate and enhance your offering.
- Product/Market Fit: Identify with confidence the perfect market gap with solid data and rationale for a product that genuinely meets market demand.
- Pitch Readiness Bootcamp: Pitch training and pitch experience within the Plus X Innovation ecosystem.
- Business Advice: From mentors, experts, investors, grant writers, and startup founders.
The people I have met here make it a dream coming in a few times a week! I don't see myself being able to go back to working from home the same way I did before coming to Plus X Innovation, I don't think I could leave the sense of community behind. It really is something everyone who is working from home should try!
Central Research Laboratory has contributed to our journey in many ways: access to a network, manufacturing, procurement services, and workshop facilities. CRL enables us to feel like a slightly bigger company than we would otherwise be if left to our own devices. Being here at CRL as a cohort member, makes it feel a lot more real and plugged in into the ecosystem.
Besides the workshop facilities, the best thing about working in the Brighton hub has got to be being able to collaborate with people in the same building as you. The variety of expertise and experience in the building is awesome.
We could not be in a better place to grow as a company. We get amazing support from the Plus X Innovation staff, plus collaboration opportunities with the other inspiring residents and companies. We feel like we’re living in the future of workplaces in the present and that is pretty damn cool.
Through my time at Plus X Innovation my business has turned from a student project into a registered R&D company. My favourite thing about being at Plus X Brighton is having a mini family in the office and a beautiful space to be the best you and make the best connections.
Our partners
Eligibility
- An idea for a business that you can realistically deliver.
- A genuine desire to start that business.
- Time and energy commitment - you will get out of this programme what you put in.
- Pre-revenue or early revenue
Register Your Interest in Stage-One Pre-Accelerator Now
Join the 500+ startups that have gone on to raise over £165m and create 1000+ jobs after benefiting from the expertise within the Plus X innovation team and wider expert network of mentors, advisors and investors.
Does Stage-One Pre-Accelerator sound like it could be the right programme for your early-stage business? Register your interest below.
Please note that registering is only the first step in the application process for Stage-One.
Selected applicants will be asked to fill out an application form, followed by an interview with the Programme Manager as part of the final selection process.
Please note that interviews will take place on a rolling basis, so please apply early for your best chance of being accepted.
Programme cost and membership opportunity
Stage-One Pre-Accelerator is free for Plus X Innovation members. New members are welcome with a minimum 3-month membership starting at £450. Stage-One Pre-Accelerator is a selective programme. You do not need to be a member of Plus X Innovation at the time of application.
The support received on the programme is valued at over £2,000 including all workshops, mentorship, 1-1 expert sessions, staff costs, course materials, catering, social events, desk space and access to prototyping and podcasting facilities.
Plus X Innovation is committed to its vision of Innovation for Everyone and has also provided a number of fully funded places which will be allocated on the following basis.
Eligibility criteria for fully funded places
- Trading for less than 12 months and turnover under £25,000
- Nominated by a partner organisation due to potential for positive impact
- Not all eligible companies will receive a funded place. Funded placements will be allocated to eligible companies based on the quality of their application
Register your interest now
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