Founders Ready to Validate a Problem & Build an MVP

Supporting Founders from ALL HBCUs!

About the HBCUFI Pre-Accelerator

The HBCU Founders Initiative is partnering with 12 Historically Black Colleges and Universities for a Fall and Spring Pre-Accelerator. The 8-week program targets early-stage founders who are past the ideation stage and ready to validate a problem and build an MVP. Topics will be presented in weekly virtual cohort sessions with on-campus activities also planned (at the 12 schools listed below). All participants will have access to office hours with advisors who will help them along their entrepreneurial journey. Participants will be eligible to receive non-dilutive program awards in support of MVP development.

Applications for the Spring 2024 Pre-Accelerator open on January 22nd and will close on February 5th. Visit our FAQs for additional information.

If you do not currently attend or did not graduate from one of the 12 participating HBCUs, there will be a Fall-only virtual accelerator that will be open to all HBCU students and alumni.

 Topics Covered

Validating the Idea
Building a Prototype
Customer Discovery
Marketing & Branding
Legal Operations
Fundraising

The HBCU Founders Initiative Selects 5 Additional Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to Its Pre-Accelerator Program Designed to Scale Entrepreneurial Education.