visionaries accelerator

Truly seen, truly supported

Access up to $175k in equity-based funding, game-changing resources, and a community supporting you every step of the way.

Applications for our 2022 Cohort have closed and will re-open in Spring 2023.

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Founders Love Visible Hands

Hear from some our our 2021 Accelerator Alumni

People were truly authentic, almost immediately, and continue to be collaborative and giving in a way that I have not experienced in any other program.
Sarah Millar
CEO & Founder at Let's Get Set
To have a community of other founders who look like me, have similar backgrounds, and totally get it without me having to explain my entire journey is such a big game-changer.
Jeff Bussgang
Founder & CEO at The Closed Round
The step-by-step personalized structure of ‘let’s solve a concrete problem in your business’ was the reason why Visible Hands is special and just totally different.
Victoria Bell
CEO & Co-Founder at The Home Dispatch
The caliber of talent that Visible Hands has been able to bring together has been crazy. I’m blown away by who I’m working with and talking with on an almost daily basis.
Victoria Bell
Founder & CEO, rees
I’ve learned so much. No matter what stage we’re at, there is a massive amount of knowledge and expertise that every individual holds in their own domain.
Victoria Bell
Founder and CEO, Beautocracy
I’ve been blown away by the talent in this cohort and I’ve just been really impressed by the support we’ve gotten from the Visible Hands team.
Victoria Bell
Co-Founder, Meru
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Our alumni have raised from top investors, including:

HOW IT WORKS

Build the next big thing with Visible Hands

We bet on our founders, not just ideas. Whether you are just starting out or looking to scale, we provide you with the investment, connections, and comprehensive resources you need to hit your next milestone.

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Receive investment from Day 1

Each founder or company receives an initial $25,000 pre-seed investment to enable you to work full-time on building your startup. After the program is over, you have the opportunity to apply for additional funding up to $150,000. You do not need to have an incorporated company going into the program — our team assists you in setting up the required legal structures to receive this investment.

Craft an experience personalized to your needs

We kick off the accelerator by learning about your specific goals and needs to ensure you get the most value out of Visible Hands. Then, we match you with an experienced mentor aligned with your requests. You'll also be matched with a Visible Hands advisor who will check in on how you and your company are doing and provide needed support.

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Get hands-on design support

We deliver tangible business value by completing projects that help you hone in on your unique brand. From brand books to landing pages to product mockups, we help you propel your startup forward through design. Think of us as an extension of your startup team.

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Join a deeply supportive community of founders

You’ll be part of a close-knit cohort of early-stage founders with diverse backgrounds and skill sets. They’re on the top of their game. You’re at the top of your game. You’ll walk away from this accelerator with deep connections to founders who will be there for you in your entrepreneurial journey.

Learn from experts who have been there

You’ll have access to over a hundred private events throughout the accelerator: fireside chats, tactical workshops, office hours, and everything in between.

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Leverage our networks

Whether you are looking to fundraise, hire or get feedback, we'll personally facilitate introductions across our various networks of angel investors, mentors, talent, and more. Visible Hands will become your most valuable professional network, even after the accelerator is over.

What else is in store for you

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In-Person Orientation

To kick-off, we bring the cohort together for an amazing week of connection (lodging & travel is covered).

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Founder Perks

You’ll have access to the right tools for your business from leading partners in the startup ecosystem.

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Work From Anywhere

Outside of orientation, our program is virtual, allowing you to participate from anywhere in the world.

Our 2-Stage Investing Approach

Receive $25k investment upfront
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Visible Hands currently makes dilutive investments in founders who are selected for our accelerator programs.

Each founder or company will receive an initial $25,000 pre-seed investment structured as a post-money SAFE for 2.5% equity. You do not need to have an incorporated company going into the program — our team will assist you in setting up the required legal structures to receive this investment. Visible Hands currently makes dilutive investments in founders who are selected for our accelerator programs.

This investment aims to provide you with financial stability throughout the 14 weeks. You can use it to help launch your company and pay your living expenses.

Apply for an additional investment of up to $150k
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Our process for the second investment starts in the final weeks of the accelerator where we begin to accept requests for additional funding from our founders. Founders are invited to request up to $150k during this second stage, and we continue to accept and review funding requests on a rolling basis, approximately every 8 weeks, following the conclusion of the program. Visible Hands has the option to invest an additional amount of up to $150,000 post-money SAFE at a $3,000,000 valuation cap. This valuation cap is increased only if a company has closed at least $200k in funding prior to receiving Visible Hands’ participation agreement. In that situation, the valuation cap on the SAFE note can be increased to match the valuation cap on existing terms with the company’s institutional investors.  For such a decision, we also consider other elements of the business such as the strength of the team, customer engagement, product quality, revenue generation, and commercial traction.

As of March 2022, 21 companies from our inaugural cohort have received investments of $100k or greater from Visible Hands.

ACCELERATOR eligibility

Who is the Visionaries Accelerator for?

  • You are the founder of an early-stage startup with high growth potential
  • Visible Hands is sector agnostic, but we generally do not invest within the cannabis, BioTech, or Life Sciences industries
  • Your gender and/or racial identity is underrepresented in tech. This includes - but isn't limited to - women, non-binary and trans people, and Black, Latinx, and Indigenous American people
  • You can commit to building your startup full-time for the entirety of the program
  • Your company is incorporated (or planning to incorporate) as a C-corp in the United States

What do we look for in our founders?

At Visible Hands, we bring together ambitious and talented founders to build venture-backed companies. If you think you have what it takes, we want to work with you.

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Skills & Insights

You have a strong skillset or deep insights that give you a competitive advantage in building and distributing a solution.

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Hustle & Execution

You can work creatively around constraints, deliver with speed, and consistently achieve what you set out to do

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Community Orientation

You are eager to collaborate and learn from others in the cohort and the broader Visible Hands community.

Apply

Keep an eye out! Applications for our next cohort will open in Spring 2023.

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1. Application

The application should take you less than an hour to complete. We ask for some basic information about you and your startup (if applicable), as well as some short answer questions.

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2. Interview

During a 30-minute interview, we dive deeper into your insights, talents, and experience. We ask you to give a brief walk-through of a project that demonstrates exceptional skill and execution. If you apply with other team members, we will interview you together.