Huckletree has launched its ninth annual Alpha Accelerator programme for underrepresented founders; this year’s theme is ‘Urban Futures’ and welcomes those focusing on “smart cities and urban innovation.”
The workplace ecosystem’s pre-seed programme will run for 12 weeks from April to June 2022 and is open to teams with at least one founding member from an underrepresented group. Applications are open now.
Under this year’s ‘Urban Futures’ theme, the Alpha Accelerator programme seeks six purpose-driven for-profit startup innovators focused on urban innovation and making cities’ smarter.’ This includes those working within its four pillars: Mobility and Transport, Smart Data, Environment and PropTech.
By addressing these pillars, Huckletree hopes the programme’s businesses will tackle carbon emissions and societal issues in cities, improve the way they run, and increase the quality of life for its citizens.
Launched in 2017, the Alpha Accelerator is pro-bono, and each participant company receives free Huckletree membership for a year.
Participants gain advice for preparing for seed funding with help from business leaders such as Justin Landsberger, Deliveroo’s Global Head of Business Development and renowned angel investor Andy Davis.
The programme also offers innovators advice on commercial and marketing strategies, hiring, leadership and more. Participants will enjoy weekly meetups with investors and group mentoring, ending with a pitch to over 60 investors at the Alpha Investor Demo Day.
The success of the Alpha Accelerator has already been proven, with over 50 alumni businesses raising over £36m in funds, with business information platform Crunchbase naming it among its influential ‘100 Startup Accelerators‘.
Huckletree connects tech innovators in the UK and Ireland through its workspace ecosystem; it has over 3,000 members, including investors and companies and eight workspaces across the UK that are “individually curated by sector focus.”
Gabriela Hersham, Co-founder of Huckletree, said: “We’re seeing the most exciting, more innovative pre-seed startups building the smart cities of tomorrow, and Huckletree wants to elevate the next generation of underrepresented thinkers as they bring these ideas to life. Our cities are defining the future of our planet. What happens in the city doesn’t stay in the city, and we must address the impact that urbanisation creates on a global scale. That’s why this accelerator is designed to help make our cities smarter and to create a more sustainable, more efficient urban future.”
junee, which provides reusable and returnable bowls to workplaces, is a graduate of the Alpha Accelerator and has raised £250k since graduating in 2021. CEO Caroline Williams said: “Our time on the Alpha programme in 2021 was fundamental. We ran our pilot at Huckletree Shoreditch, which gave junee a real springboard.
“As a result of the programme, we have gone on to raise £250k in investment and £90k in grants. Without this investment, we would never have been able to scale the company from two to a team of eight specialists. We would definitely recommend Alpha to founders looking to raise funds in 2022.”
Huckletree calls for “innovative startups creating ground-breaking solutions in Urban Futures” to apply now before applications close at midnight on the 27th of February, 2022. To find out more about this year’s theme, click here.
