gBETA Bronze Valley VentureLab Accelerator Program

The gBETA Bronze Valley VentureLab is a free, seven-week accelerator program designed to support early-stage companies with local roots. This program, operated by gener8tor, is specifically focused on fostering the growth of female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color. Each program cohort includes up to five companies selected from a competitive applicant pool. The program is structured to help startups refine their business models, enhance their investor readiness, and establish a strong foundation for future success. Participants receive individualized coaching, mentorship, and access to a network of investors and accelerator professionals. The primary goal of gBETA is to prepare participating startups to enter an investment accelerator or raise a seed round. To achieve this, the program offers several key benefits, including weekly educational sessions called "Lunch & Learns," mentor engagement events called "Mentor Swarms," and direct investor pitches. Participants also gain access to over $1 million in deals and perks from major vendors such as IBM Cloud, Amazon, Microsoft, Paypal, Zendesk, and Hubspot. Furthermore, post-program alumni support is provided to ensure continued business growth and networking opportunities. To be eligible for the Bronze Valley VentureLab, startups must be based in the United States and led by female entrepreneurs or entrepreneurs of color. Selected teams must be able to commit at least 85% of their time to the program, ideally reaching 100% participation. The program requires a time commitment of five to seven hours weekly, excluding additional independent business development work by the founders. Applicants should also be prepared to discuss their business models openly with mentors and investors and have an interest in scaling their sales and raising capital. The program follows a structured schedule starting with a 1.5-day kickoff event that includes team-building activities, strategy meetings, and one-on-one coaching sessions. During weeks one through six, participants attend two one-hour strategy meetings weekly, engage in weekly mentor swarm networking sessions, and participate in Lunch & Learns on topics such as market competition, revenue models, financing, pitching, and investor engagement. In the final week, participants pitch to investors in curated one-on-one meetings and present their startups at a showcase event. No financial investment is made in the participating companies during the accelerator, and no equity is taken in exchange for participation. The program is completely free for selected startups. The next cohort, the gBETA Bronze Valley VentureLab Alabama Summer 2025, has an application deadline of May 16, 2025, with the program running from June 5 to July 24, 2025. Post-program, alumni gain access to additional resources such as continued mentorship, corporate networking events, and curated investor meetings through gener8tor’s broader ecosystem. For further inquiries, applicants can reach out to Nikki Johnson, the Director of gBETA Bronze Valley VentureLab, via email at nikki@gener8tor.com. Office hours are available for those seeking more information about the program.