Alchemist Accelerator

Alchemist Accelerator is a six-month program designed to support early-stage startups that monetize from enterprises. The program provides startups with access to the world's best enterprise mentor and investor network, as well as marquee early customer adopters, regional industry conferences, and investor demo days.

Founded in 2012, Alchemist Accelerator has helped numerous startups achieve success by providing them with a structured path to traction, customers, and fundraising. The program is open to startups regardless of industry, location, product, business model, or stage, as long as their revenue comes ultimately from the enterprise.

Alchemist Accelerator is known for its high-calibre mentors and network, with over 3,000 faculty and mentors and over 5,500 venture investors. The program has dedicated tracks to support startups in areas such as Industrial IoT, FinTech/Cybersecurity, Climate Tech, Digital Health, and Diversity, although it is sector-agnostic at its core.

The program is designed by experienced enterprise entrepreneurs, and startups typically receive $25,000 in funding, with an average ask of 5.0% equity. Alchemist startups also have access to exclusive credits, discounts, and deals from the program's extensive network of partners, valued at more than $400,000.

Alchemist Accelerator has a global reach, with local hubs in San Francisco, Munich, and Memphis. The program has a strong focus on industrial Europe and the logistics and supply chain hub in Memphis, serving founders with global aspirations wherever they do business.

The Alchemist Accelerator is a seed-stage startup accelerator that was founded in 2012 by Ravi Belani, formerly of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Alison Davis, a consultant and entrepreneur. The accelerator is based in San Francisco, California, and has expanded to other locations including Munich, Germany, and Memphis, Tennessee.

The goal of the Alchemist Accelerator is to provide seed-stage companies that monetize from enterprises with a structured path to traction, customers, and fundraising. The program is designed to help startups with enterprise-focused business models, regardless of industry, location, product, business model, or stage. The only requirement is that the startup's revenue comes ultimately from the enterprise.

The accelerator provides funding, mentorship, and access to a network of investors and enterprise customers. Each class of startups is limited to 25 teams, and the program lasts for six months. The accelerator typically offers $25,000 in funding to each team, in exchange for 5% equity. However, the accelerator is willing to adjust the economics for later-stage companies.

The Alchemist Accelerator has an extensive network of mentors, faculty, and investors, with over 3,000 faculty and mentors, and over 5,500 venture investors. The accelerator also provides startups with access to marquee early customer adopters, who are large enterprises engaged with Alchemist to discuss partnerships including pilots, customer relationships, and investment.

In addition to the funding and mentorship, the Alchemist Accelerator also provides startups with regional industry conferences and an investor demo day, where startups can showcase their products and gain visibility. Alchemist startups are also eligible for all exclusive credits, discounts, and deals from the accelerator's extensive network of partners, with a total value of more than $400K to each Alchemist startup.

The Alchemist Accelerator has dedicated tracks to support startups in Industrial IoT, FinTech/Cybersecurity, Climate Tech, Digital Health, and Diversity. However, the accelerator is sector-agnostic at its core and loves companies that defy categorization.

Over the years, the Alchemist Accelerator has helped numerous startups grow and succeed, including companies such as ZeroStack, Dremio, and Front. The accelerator's alumni have raised over $2 billion in venture capital, with an average funding per company of $16 million.

Overall, the Alchemist Accelerator has become a well-respected and valuable resource for early-stage startups looking to monetize from enterprises. Its extensive network of mentors and investors, combined with its focus on enterprise-focused business models, makes it a unique and valuable resource for startups looking to grow and succeed.

The Alchemist Accelerator invests in early-stage startups that monetize from enterprises. The program is designed for deeply technical teams with business co-founders and advisors, who have aspirations to change the world.

• The accelerator is sector-agnostic at its core, meaning it accepts startups from all industries as long as their revenue comes from enterprises. The Alchemist Accelerator is specifically looking for startups that meet the following investment criteria:
• Early-Stage Ventures: The Alchemist Accelerator is designed for early-stage ventures. The program is ideal for startups that have a solid idea or product but have not yet reached significant traction or funding.
• Enterprise-Focused: The accelerator focuses on startups that have the potential to generate revenue from enterprise customers. This includes B2B startups that offer solutions for enterprise customers, or B2C startups that have enterprise customers as their primary revenue stream.
• Deeply Technical: The Alchemist Accelerator is interested in startups with a strong technical focus. This could include startups that leverage AI, machine learning, or other advanced technologies to solve complex problems.
• Teams with Business Co-founders and Advisors: Startups that have both technical and business expertise are highly valued by the accelerator. The ideal startup has a team with a mix of technical and business skills, as well as experienced advisors.
• Aspirations to Change the World: The Alchemist Accelerator is looking for startups that have ambitious goals to make a significant impact on the world. The accelerator seeks startups with a mission to create something truly unique and innovative.

Overall, the Alchemist Accelerator is looking for startups with a strong product or idea, a clear revenue stream from enterprise customers, and a team that has both technical and business expertise. The accelerator is open to startups from all industries and geographies, as long as they meet these criteria.

• Founder-Centricity: Alchemist places a strong emphasis on putting the needs of the founders first. The program is designed to provide founders with the resources and supports they need to succeed, to help them build long-term sustainable businesses.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Alchemist believes that diversity and inclusion are essential to building successful startups. The program is committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity in all its operations, including its mentor network, portfolio companies, and staff.
• Integrity and Transparency: Alchemist values honesty, transparency, and ethical behaviour. The program operates with a high level of integrity and strives to maintain transparent relationships with all stakeholders.
• Community: Alchemist believes in the power of community and fosters a strong sense of belonging among its founders and mentors. The program encourages collaboration and sharing of ideas, with the goal of building a supportive and collaborative community.
• Continuous Improvement: Alchemist is committed to continuous improvement and seeks to learn from its successes and failures. The program is constantly evolving and adapting to meet the changing needs of its founders and the broader startup ecosystem.

The mission statement of the Alchemist Accelerator is to help seed-stage entrepreneurs succeed in building successful enterprise companies. The program aims to provide startups with the necessary resources, guidance, and connections to help them navigate the complex enterprise landscape, secure early customers, and raise follow-on funding.

The Alchemist team believes that deeply technical founders are often best equipped to solve enterprise problems and create significant value for their customers. Therefore, the program focuses on supporting early-stage ventures with technical co-founders and business advisors who are building products that will ultimately monetize from the enterprise.

Through a structured six-month program, Alchemist aims to provide startups with a comprehensive path to traction, customers, and fundraising. The program includes access to a network of over 3,000 faculty and mentors, over 5,500 venture investors, and marquee early customer adopters. Alchemist also provides startups with regional industry conferences and an investor demo day to help them gain visibility and traction for their product.

The Alchemist Accelerator has an impressive portfolio of successful startups. As of September 2021, the accelerator has invested in over 290 companies since its inception in 2012.

Some of the most notable companies in the Alchemist portfolio include:

1. LaunchDarkly: A platform that allows developers to manage feature flags at scale.
2. Rigetti Computing: A quantum computing startup.
3. Blueshift: A marketing automation platform that uses AI to personalize customer experiences.
4. Bright Machines: A software-defined manufacturing platform that uses robotics and AI to improve efficiency.
5. Tarsier: A startup that develops computer vision technology for augmented and virtual reality.

Other notable companies in the Alchemist portfolio include Bugcrowd, Sense, and Tray.io, among many others.

One of the strengths of the Alchemist Accelerator is its focus on startups that monetize from enterprises. This focus has enabled Alchemist to build a strong network of industry partners, including many Fortune 500 companies. As a result, the Alchemist portfolio companies have been able to secure partnerships, pilot programs, and investments from some of the world's leading enterprises.

Overall, the Alchemist portfolio represents a diverse range of industries, technologies, and business models. However, all the companies share a common focus on leveraging technology to solve complex enterprise problems.