While we use lean-startup principles, which can be applied to almost any industry, we mostly focus on  building tech companies that can scale quickly.

Most of the companies we choose to work with have a software platform at the center of the concept.

The majority of the ventures we are most interested in co-building are going into the A.I., SaaS, marketplace, user-generated content, e-commerce, tech-enabled, or consumer app space.

SparkFlyte also works with corporations looking to start new spin-out companies with their in-house industry experts. Please ask us for more information on our Corporate Innovation program.

Unless tech-enabled, we do not usually build lifestyle businesses, consulting businesses, on-premise software, or physical product companies.

SparkFlyte does not work with most ‘vice’ industries (i.e. pornography, drugs, gambling, etc.).

Check with us if you are not sure.

Because we’re investing heavily in the startups we help create, we require all applicants to put some “skin in the game” (i.e. commit and fund a small portion of the total amount of equity going in to the new venture).

Most Accelerators require your founding team to bring the technical expertise to the table. 

We on the other hand are actually co-building with you, and provide most of the technical expertise your company may need to get an MVP and product-market fit.

Ultimately, most accelerators do actually charge a ‘program fee,’ they just label it differently, taking the program fee out of the equity investment that they make.

At SparkFlyte, we operate a little differently as we provide a much more active role in helping you start your new tech company.

SparkFlyte provides a founding team to support you with bringing your idea to life.

We provide the technology resources and also support directly with branding, design, product development, maintenance, go-to-market, fundraising support, and much more during the program.

This requires a heavier investment on our part, but we do our best to keep it very fair, and very affordable to optimize your chances for success.

Our method of program and processes have proven to save founders and their investors hundreds of thousands of dollars, months of lost time, and millions in undervalued equity.

Yes.

Contact us for details.

We require at least some financial commitment from all accepted applicants.

But we can provide grants, scholarships, or the equivalent of financial aid for exceptional applicants based on needs and qualifications.

Typically, yes.

Spark Flyte plans to invest an estimated $250,000-$300,000 worth of programming code and custom-built intellectual property into each of the startups accepted into our accelerator program.

Great news: No, not at all.

For your convenience, we’re setup to operate remotely.

So long as you’re able to connect with your customers or prospective customers in person, we’ve not found face-to-face interactions necessary between teammates.

That being said, we do typically suggest 1-2 days in person every 4-6 weeks at one of our locations to work alongside us during the program.

It’s not necessary to have an entity formed before starting our program.

Upon being accepted into our program, we can get you some great discounts on entity formation with our legal partners and work with you to ensure the proper structure is in place for future investments.

If you’re hoping to incorporate before we get started together, reach out to us and we can connect you with our legal partners directly.

Further, if this is a new venture, we do typically require a Delaware C-Corp for the program.

Not at all.

In fact we prefer you don’t have a formal business plan, as they are often-times based on way too many untested assumptions.

If you’ve done some research, customer development, and business model canvasing that’s great, but don’t worry too much about having all of this together before we start.

The first days of the program with SparkFlyte are designed to dive into the business model.

We do have a qualification process that our team uses to determine if we’re the right fit for each other.

Our application deadlines are usually 30 days prior to the kickoff of the next group.

Because each group of startups is planned for the first week of January and April, and the third week of August, the application deadline is the last day of the month of November and February, and the second week of July.

Contact us for exact dates, or to ask about us making an exception to a deadline to be included in the next group.

Nope. We don’t offer coworking space as part of our program.

No. Based upon the volume of ideas and submissions we receive, it’s simply not feasible for us to enter into NDA agreements prior to reviewing all of our applications.

In addition, like most Accelerator groups, there are often multiple startup teams competing in the same arena, competing in the same industry and going after the same customer groups.

As it would be unfair and unfeasible for all involved, so we simply do not enter into NDA’s with our accelerator applicants.

Many near-identical ideas seem to appear from multiple startup applicants at the same time.

That being said, we respect and honor your expertise and ideas.

It’s our guaranteed pledge that we would never directly and intentionally compete with any business concept you or anyone submits to us as part of the application process, whether you’re accepted into the program or not.

At SparkFlyte, we keep a rolling group of mentors with varying backgrounds and skills to pair with our ventures.

We hand-select a mentor for each of our ventures that come through the program.

We take the time to matchmake mentors with ventures and founders that overlap or compliment with their industry or skill sets.

Our mentors need to commit, at minimum, 6 hrs per quarter to support their assigned startup at some critical moments with the ventures. Most of our mentors commit around 12 hrs per quarter to offer support.

Hardly.    

Unlike most accelerators, we don’t typically choose founders that fit the mold of the stereotypical 20-year-old coder.

In fact, most of the founders we seek are usually in their late 30’s, or 40’s, 50’s and even 60’s.

We wholeheartedly believe that the next wave of tech innovation is going to come from older, more experienced industry experts.

Of course!

While most of our team is setup with home and virtual offices, we love meeting new entrepreneurs of all paths and supporting our local ecosystems.

Contact us and we’ll do our best to set up a time to have you visit or meet up for coffee.

Contact us.

Ready to get started?

Apply today to get your new company built.