Accelerators and incubators in Colorado
Startup Resources lists 17 accelerators and 11 incubators in Colorado as of , most of them in Boulder and Denver. An accelerator is a mentor-led program for a company that is already building. An incubator helps founders test an idea, build a team and set up the company.
Accelerators
Mentor-led programs for companies that are already building, A to Z.
A Denver program with an MVP Lab for tech founders. The lab serves Black, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Indigenous founders. It gives them mentoring, capital, business training and technology guidance.
A Boulder center for human performance. It has memberships, classes and events. It also has Black Lab X, its human tech venture ecosystem. Black Lab X invests in deep tech companies.
A mentor-driven accelerator program in Boulder.
A mentor-driven accelerator program in Boulder.
Accelerator programs at Catalyst Campus in Colorado Springs. The programs are for startups in space and national security technology. Each startup is paired with mission partners, mentors and experts.
A summer accelerator in Boulder. It is for ventures started by CU Boulder students, faculty and staff. It has mentoring and equity-free funding. It also has dedicated coworking space.
CrowdSolve Climate Impact Accelerator
A subscription platform for first-time founders. It pairs AI with experienced founders to test ideas with customers. It takes no equity. It powers the University of Colorado's New Venture Challenge.
A program for cybersecurity companies. Applicants join through a short intake form. A conversation about fit and goals follows.
A mentor-driven accelerator program in Denver.
An accelerator from SCAPE. It is for scalable ventures based in rural Colorado or New Mexico. It favors the Southwest. It offers mentors, bookkeeping support and chances for funding.
A social enterprise accelerator. It trains founders to launch mission-driven businesses. It has free cohorts for entrepreneurs in Colorado. It has self-paced online courses too.
Startup Colorado Community Fund
A Startup Colorado initiative that gives grants. The grants go to groups that support the Colorado startup ecosystem. It focuses on Front Range communities such as Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins.
Techstars Colorado is a startup community partnership. It was announced in October 2024. Its goal is to restart the Techstars accelerator in Boulder, where Techstars began. It was built with the local startup community.
The Warehouse Business Accelerator
A scale-up accelerator and Innovation Hub in Loveland. It is for technology and manufacturing companies in Northern Colorado. It has mentors and production space to grow.
A network of mentors, advisors and fractional executives in Golden. Its members guide startup founders and business owners. The network works with partners such as the Colorado School of Mines.
A company whose Vixa score measures how durable a small or midsize business is. It lets founders prove what they built. Lenders and investors can see it.
Watson Institute Semester Accelerator
The flagship Fellowship from Boulder's Watson Institute. It is a fully funded program for impact entrepreneurs. It offers training and mentors. It also offers connections to capital and a global peer community.
Incubators
Programs that help founders test an idea, build a team and set up the company, A to Z.
A workspace in Denver's RiNo district. It offers offices, coworking, conference rooms and event space. Startups work alongside larger companies there.
CSU Institute of Entrepreneurship
A Colorado State University institute in Fort Collins. Its Venture Development Pathway takes founders from an idea to a business. Founders test the idea, then pitch it and build the business.
CU Innovation & Entrepreneurship
A CU Boulder initiative. It connects students, faculty and staff with programs and resources to turn ideas into ventures. Programs include the New Venture Challenge.
EPIIC Venture Attractor at UCCS
A university-based initiative at UCCS that helps early-stage startups in Colorado Springs. The startups work in sports and outdoors, health and human performance. Some work in property technology and space technology.
Accelerators, mentorship, workshops and community events for Colorado emerging tech founders. One is the XI Accelerator, which is cohort-based. It is for teams with an MVP ready to scale.
A Boulder team of seasoned entrepreneurs and business specialists. Startup founders get an advisory team by subscription. The team coaches and mentors, reviews documents and makes introductions.
An Innosphere advisory program in Fort Collins. Early-stage startups present to seasoned advisors. The advisors help them refine their business strategy, product definition and plans to go to market.
SCORE's national small business mentoring network. Its Colorado chapters serve Metro Denver and Northern Colorado. More chapters serve Southern Colorado and the Western Slope.
A member-run nonprofit makerspace in Northglenn. Hobbyists and small ventures share tools, a metal shop and an electronics lab. It also has low-commitment workspace and business addresses.
A Colorado-based company with a global reach. It runs an invite-only fellowship. It is for growth-stage entrepreneurs who solve global problems. It links them with investors, mentors and institutions.
A Boulder institute powering fellowships with corporate and foundation partners. Fellows are entrepreneurs, mostly from historically disenfranchised backgrounds. Each gets training, mentors and a venture stipend.
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Every list here comes from Startup Resources, which the community keeps current. If a Colorado resource for founders is missing, tell us. A person reviews every suggestion before it goes in.