Launch Program
Launch Program
Let’s get you launched
Imec.istart is known for giving tech founders the best chances to succeed. With a portfolio of over 300 companies, our support has proven to be instrumental in helping entrepreneurs bring their products to market and grow their startups internationally.
We understand that getting started is often easier said than done. That’s why our Launch Program is designed to help early-stage founders validate their most critical assumptions, and to give them the necessary tools to build the foundation of their startup.
This 10-week program provides selected tech entrepreneurs with access to some of our imec.istart coaches, partners and expertise, with the goal to increase their probability of success and prepare them for their next steps, whether that involves an imec.istart investment or any other opportunity.
Content of the program
The Launch program includes several in-person sessions, 1-on-1 deep-dives with our experts, an extensive content library with industry-specific resources, coaching, speeddating opportunities with our partners, and regular 1-on-1 check-ins.
The Launch Program runs for 10 weeks and covers essential topics such as:
GETTING THE TEAM ALIGNED
As cliché as it sounds, startup success is all about the team and its execution. That’s exactly why we’re putting this topic at the top of the agenda, as it’s crucial to set the foundation for a resilient, collaborative and high-performing team.
During the kick-off day, we’ll dive into some fundamentals about startup team dynamics, help you better understand why you’re embarking on this journey, and provide you with some insights, strategies and do’s & don’ts of co-founder relationships.
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
Are you actually trying to solve a problem? One that’s really worth solving?
With the help of our partner U-sentric, we’ll introduce you to user-centered design principles to give you the tools to deeply understand the problem your (potential) customers are facing. From turning your vision into the right assumptions and running effective stakeholder interviews, to constructing the right experiments and building a system to gather relevant feedback.
BUILDING THE SOLUTION
The process of conceptualizing, developing, and bringing your product to the market is no easy feat, so ask yourself this: how can you build the most rudimentary version of your product to test whether it actually solves (part of) the problem?
With the help of our partners dashdot and Comate, we'll dive into the world of early software/hardware product development and MVP-building. We’ll help you translate your value proposition into a product vision and understand what's ahead of you in terms of building the initial version(s) of your product.
UNDERSTANDING THE MARKET
Customers, users, influencers, competitors, intermediaries,.. There are plenty of stakeholders to consider across the entire value chain, all with their own incentives, problems and needs.
Throughout the program, our own in-house built Innovatrix board will serve as a dynamic framework to lay out all facets of your startup, and our team will challenge you to map out the different customer segments, their respective needs, current practices, barriers, to adoption, and much more.
THE BUSINESS MODEL / GOING TO MARKET
A business model is all about the balance between value creation, delivery, consumption and capture. Because in the end it’s pretty simple: no business model, no business.
We’ll shed light on different business model dynamics and its associated metrics. And with the help of our partners Ooho and Deloitte, you’ll learn the ins and outs of bringing your product to the market via an effective go-to-market strategy, while considering best practices around contracting and the regulatory frameworks.
FUNDRAISING FUNDAMENTALS
After laying the groundwork for your team, product, business model and go-to-market strategy, you’ll need the necessary resources to accelerate your journey. That’s why we’ll tackle some of the most important fundraising fundamentals.
With the help of our partner Messagelab, you’ll learn how to craft a compelling story to convince the right stakeholders at the right time. Additionally, our team will help you understand how to calculate your financial needs while providing insights into the different types of funding mechanisms. Lastly, we’ll touch on the legal intricacies of the fundraising process and the stuff that’s too important to ignore.
GETTING THE TEAM ALIGNED
As cliché as it sounds, startup success is all about the team and its execution. That’s exactly why we’re putting this topic at the top of the agenda, as it’s crucial to set the foundation for a resilient, collaborative and high-performing team.
During the kick-off day, we’ll dive into some fundamentals about startup team dynamics, help you better understand why you’re embarking on this journey, and provide you with some insights, strategies and do’s & don’ts of co-founder relationships.
Who are we looking for?
If you’re not yet ready to apply for our (or any other) accelerator program, our Launch Program might be the ideal opportunity to give you that final push.
Therefore, we welcome (future) startup founders who:
- Are working on a tech product (hardware or software, or both)
- May not have a working proof-of-concept yet, but can at least already show what they are trying to build. Be it through sketches, prototypes, clickable mock-ups,...
- May not have a complementary co-founder yet, but are in the process of teaming up with one
- Are based in Belgium
Selection process & key program dates
This is what the selection process for our Launch Program looks like, so please keep these dates in mind.
Want to know more?
Download our program brochure to find out all there is to know about our Launch Program, including the workshop dates for our upcoming edition, as well as what you can expect if you want to apply.
If you still have questions you can also schedule a call with us.