The fourth Pre-Accelerator Program in the partnership supporting women and non-binary entrepreneurs

Techstars, a global investment business that provides access to capital, one-on-one mentorship, and programming for early-stage entrepreneurs, and leading global financial services firm J.P. Morgan, open applications for their next Founder Catalyst Program in Oakland, CA. Similar to the successful programs in Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Miami, this cohort will support 20 women and non-binary founders, with intentionality on serving the Bay Area’s LGBT+ community.

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Techstars and J.P. Morgan launch the fourth Founder Catalyst Program supporting early-stage women and non-binary founders in Oakland. (Photo: Business Wire)

Startups participating in this program will receive valuable startup education, mentorship, community building, and access to the Techstars worldwide network of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and corporate partners. Participants will hone their entrepreneurial skills, better understand their target customers, and dig deeply into their innovative business ideas. The program will take place from October through December, 2022, where in-depth entrepreneurial sessions and resources will be given to participants in a primarily virtual, part-time format.

“The connections I made here with other women founders and LGBTQ founders was invaluable,” says Mia Cooley, former Founder Catalyst participant and founder of xHood. “It was truly an honor to be among the best that is to come. The intention shown from our mentors and Techstars team is inimitable.”

The previous three Techstars Founder Catalyst Programs in partnership with J.P. Morgan have led to nearly 1,000 mentor connections, four product launches, more than $850,000 raised and dozens of active investor conversations. Seven participants were also accepted into Techstars accelerators following program completion.

Through the Techstars Founder Catalyst Programs participants receive education on proven methodologies and access to world class resources, increasing chances of success. Techstars’ expertise stems from their experience operating nearly 50 accelerators around the world and maintaining a portfolio of more than 2,900 companies.

All women and non-binary founded, early-stage companies based in the Oakland & San Francisco Bay Area are encouraged to apply today through August 31 or contact foundercatalyst@techstars.com. Early applications are prioritized.

About Techstars

The Techstars worldwide network helps entrepreneurs succeed. Founded in 2006, Techstars began with three simple ideas—entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to enable every person on the planet to contribute to, and benefit from, the success of entrepreneurs. In addition to operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, we do this by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Techstars has invested in more than 3,000 companies with a combined market cap of more than $140B. www.techstars.com

About JPMorgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America (“U.S.”), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $4.0 trillion in assets and $285.9 billion in stockholders’ equity as of March 31, 2022. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the JPMorgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com

This Founder Catalyst program is supported by J.P. Morgan's Innovation Economy business unit, its Women on the Move initiative and the Office of LGBT+ Affairs. Through the Innovation Economy division, J.P. Morgan serves high-growth, early-stage companies, and founders with solutions they need to scale quickly, from credit and financing to treasury and payments, international banking, access to the Investment Bank, asset management, and more. The Women on the Move initiative fuels female ambition and advances financial equality by providing greater access to capital, networking, expertise, and advice to female clients, serving women-owned or women-run businesses at all stages of development, from start-ups through large corporations. The Office of LGBT+ Affairs is a global initiative dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion for the LGBT+ community, partners closely with stakeholders across the firm to promote intersectionality and leverage combined resources to deliver equity and inclusion for LGBT+ employees, clients, partners and communities, worldwide.

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