BETA Cohort

Accelerate your startup's success with the support of Minnesota's technology community.

What is the BETA Cohort?

The BETA Cohort is a FREE, non-dilutive accelerator program that puts founders front and center to Minnesota's technology and innovation community. Together, founding teams learn, work, and grow our state's next great businesses.

Twenty companies. Four months. Lasting impact.

As a Cohort founder, you'll gain valuable insight on how to grow and scale your company while BETA's community provides access to the resources and relationships required to achieve major milestones.

Secure your first customers. Raise your first round. Make your first hire.

CHECK OUT OUR ALUMNI:

264 Startups

$633M Funds Raised

2,223 Employees

What to Expect

TRAIN FOR SCALE

Have one day a week to dedicate to your growth? Over nine weeks, the Cohort meets community experts who train on:

Lean Canvas Model
Financial Models + Valuation
Mission, Vision, Values
Culture + People
Design Thinking, Customer Feedback
Sales Development
Branding, Marketing + Media
Investor Pitches

PLAN TO BUILD

We're dedicated to your success. Invest time and expect to develop the following:

A business model canvas
A functioning cap table
A financial model
A functioning CRM
An active sales pitch
A media pitch
An investor pitch (for non-bootstrapped companies)
A mentor relationship

Additional Benefits

Alumni founders report that one of the best parts of joining the BETA network is access to peers. Founders will work alongside fellow founders, connect on a private founder Slack channel, and troubleshoot key issues with experts in our network and the BETA team.

Showcase Introduce your company to 500+ attendees - including media, investors, potential customers, and general tech enthusiasts.

COWORKING Founding teams gain free access to our coworking space at Twin Ignition Startup Garage for the duration of the Cohort.

Press Cohort founders share monthly updates that are relayed to our media contacts who help amplify startup stories widely.

Community Form lasting relationships through bi-weekly meetings. Share learnings and troubleshoot critical issues facing your business.

Receive Priority Status

BETA Cohort Alumni founders receive priority status when participating in other BETA programs.

Is Your Startup a Fit?

There are no hard and fast rules for what type of startup we accept into the program, but here are some common traits that have proven to lead to a positive experience:

COMPANY CRITERIA

Based in Minnesota
Scalable Tech-Enabled Product or Service
MVP in Market or Market-Ready
Bootstrapping or Preparing for Pre-Seed or Seed Stage Financing

FOUNDER EXPECTATIONS

The BETA Cohort requires participation in at least 80% of scheduled programs, workshops, training, and networking events
Plan to block 4-6 hours for educational programming per week (the Cohort meets on Wednesdays)
Actively engage with your fellow founders and our network of experts
Create a safe space for all identities represented by our founders

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about BETA Cohort. Review our most commonly asked questions.