Products Over Pitches

If your focus is on building a strong, testable product and you have a clear vision but need technical help, RightShift is a great choice. Unlike many accelerators that concentrate on business guidance, we get hands-on with your product development. For technical founders, we provide extra support to speed things up. Our approach bridges the gap from idea to a working product, saving you time and effort.

Absolutely. Our 8-week program is all about hands-on work to bring your product to life. Longer programs often include content that isn’t immediately useful for early-stage founders. By staying focused on what really matters, we make your time with us productive and impactful.

Graduating from the RightShift Accelerator comes with valuable perks designed to support your ongoing success:

• Investor-Ready Materials: You’ll leave with a comprehensive data room that’s ready to share with VCs as you begin fundraising discussions.
• Extended Resource Access: Enjoy complimentary access to all program resources for three months after graduation. You’ll also maintain access to your cohort’s private Slack channel and public channels, giving you ongoing opportunities for networking, collaboration, and connection.
• Preferred Partner Status: Benefit from an 8% discount on all design and engineering services from our agency partner, RightShift, for up to one year after successful graduation.
• Executive Advisory: Schedule up to four free advisory sessions with our C-suite executives within 60 days post-graduation to get strategic guidance.
• RightShift Network Access: Gain long-term access to the RightShift network, connecting you with industry experts, investors, and other ecosystem builders to help you scale.

Yes, we do invest—but we take a merit-based approach to ensure the best outcomes for both our graduates and the program. Instead of providing upfront funding to all participants, we make strategic investment decisions at the end of the program. These are based on factors like thesis alignment, founder-solution fit, market opportunity, founder skills, and product potential. This thoughtful process allows us to offer more substantial and targeted support to startups that exhibit exceptional promise after completing our 8-week program.

We invest in two distinct tranches designed to cater to startups that demonstrate strong potential and alignment with our investment criteria:

• Tranche 1: At graduation, selected participants who meet the program's thesis alignment and merit standards may receive up to $30,000 in development credits with our partner, RightShift. This is offered in exchange for 2% equity in your company via a post-money SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity). These credits are specifically intended for product feature design and development. Not all participants will qualify for Tranche 1, as it’s awarded to those we identify as strong fits for our investment model and who complete the program successfully. We also retain the right to participate in future financing rounds to maintain our equity share.
• Tranche 2: For startups that receive Tranche 1 and then achieve specific milestones identified during the program, an additional follow-on investment of up to $90,000 may be offered. This is provided through an uncapped SAFE with a Most Favored Nation (MFN) provision to ensure fairness if better terms are granted in future SAFEs at the same funding level. Like Tranche 1, the decision to award Tranche 2 is contingent on fit, performance, and milestone achievement.

This approach ensures that our investments are carefully targeted to support the most promising startups without unnecessary fees or additional costs.

We provide service credits in Tranche 1 to ensure your investment is fully focused on building your testable product. Cash can quickly be used for various expenses, but service credits direct resources toward product development, helping you turn your vision into reality more efficiently.

Definitely. The equity trade isn’t just about the monetary value of services. It also includes faster development timelines, reducing risks, and giving you a working product to share with investors sooner. Add the time saved from not needing to hire technical talent, and the value far exceeds up to $30K.

RightShift was chosen for its diverse expertise, ranging from mobile and AI to fintech, sports tech, and more. They’ve built and scaled products in multiple industries. Still, it’s essential to confirm that your project aligns with their specialties. Their sprint-based development process ensures no time is wasted, keeping everything smooth and efficient.

You’re in charge. Before we start, you’ll work alongside RightShift to create a detailed plan, including deliverables, timelines, and checkpoints. You’ll have regular opportunities to review progress and make adjustments along the way. Most importantly, you retain full ownership of your intellectual property and code. Transparency is maintained from start to finish.

While the formal program benefits wrap up after three months, we remain committed to your success. You can still access our alumni network and events, and many of our mentors continue working with standout founders long-term. Additionally, you’ll enjoy preferred rates with RightShift for a year after graduation and may gain introductions to follow-on investors if your startup performs well.

The 4-week window helps keep momentum going and ensures no crucial insights are lost. That said, you don’t need to complete all development in that time frame. You only need to start within the four weeks. The 500 development hours can then follow a schedule that works best for your goals.