A new partnership between Bronze Valley and gener8tor, a nationally-ranked startup accelerator, will fuel the growth of startups emerging from Birmingham and throughout the Southeast. The Bronze Valley Accelerator is a free version of gener8tor’s program, aimed at assisting early-stage startups emerging from Birmingham and throughout the Southeast. The accelerator is supported by Alabama Power and the Alabama Department of Commerce,
The Bronze Valley Accelerator will provide individualized mentorship and coaching to up to 15 startups per year. Participants will receive intensive coaching and access to gener8tor’s national network of mentors, potential customers, corporate partners and investors. The program is designed to help startups gain early customer traction with products and ideas and establish metrics that make them competitive applicants for full-time accelerators or seed investment.
Bronze Valley Chair John O. Hudson III.
“This is part of Bronze Valley’s commitment to continually enhancing the ecosystem for business growth,” said Bronze Valley Chairman John O. Hudson III. “As we work to create and maintain an entrepreneurial environment that is more nurturing, more supportive and more inclusive, the Bronze Valley Accelerator will play a critical role in preparing early-stage ventures for long-term success.”
Through the Bronze Valley Accelerator, Bronze Valley and gener8tor will build on current momentum in the Birmingham startup ecosystem. The additional resources provided through the program will spark further entrepreneurship, drive local economic growth and spur innovation in various industries. The Bronze Valley Accelerator will run up to three times per year and is capped at five companies per cohort to ensure a high level of individualized attention.
Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield
“The Department of Commerce is pleased to partner with the Bronze Valley Accelerator through the Growing Alabama Credit program,“ said Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. “Alabama’s economic development team has made fostering the growth of technology-focused jobs a priority. The accelerator will serve as a launching pad for promising tech startups in Birmingham and around the state.”
Participants will be selected from Birmingham and throughout the Southeast, and the program will work with companies across all industries and business models. In keeping with Bronze Valley’s mission, the program is geared toward helping accelerate the businesses of underrepresented founders — specifically, people of color and women — as well as students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and affiliates.
Alabama Power CEO Mark Crosswhite
“As a longtime supporter of Bronze Valley, Alabama Power is committed to promoting and supporting the growth of minority- and women-owned businesses in the technology and innovation sector. We know that a more inclusive Alabama economy is a more robust economy,” said Alabama Power CEO Mark Crosswhite. “The Bronze Valley Accelerator will be a key driver of technology entrepreneurship in our state.”
gener8tor’s turnkey platform for the creative economy connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences and fellowships. The Bronze Valley Accelerator follows gener8tor’s gBETA program model. gBETA is a free accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. Each program is capped at five teams and requires no fees and no equity.
Bronze Valley is a non-profit, early stage venture investment platform that supports high growth, innovation and technology-enabled companies created by diverse, underrepresented and underestimated founders. The mission of Bronze Valley is to provide an education-to-opportunity-to outcome pipeline for communities that are underrepresented in technology careers and in fields where innovators will shape the future.
Startups interested in participating in the program can learn more by visiting www.bronzevalleyaccelerator.com.
