Growth Lab

Where LGBTQ+ founders scale.
StartOut Growth Lab is a five-month accelerator that provides 1:1 mentorship, strategic guidance, and an 18-month growth plan to help you scale your business.

111

graduated companies

$930M

in funding raised

4,495

new jobs

What Is an Accelerator?

Accelerators are designed to compress years of learning into a short, high-impact experience.

Through 1:1 mentorship and strategic planning, accelerators help founders clarify direction and strengthen operations. Accelerators guide companies toward major milestones such as revenue growth, fundraising, or team expansion.

Growth Lab provides this accelerated path to give founders the tools and support needed to scale.

We are making a real impact promoting diversity within startup communities across the nation. StartOut Growth Lab (“SGL”) hosts a new virtual cohort of early-stage companies every six months. Think your company has what it takes?

How To Apply

Create an account with StartOut or login to your founder profile if you already have one
Complete the Founder’s application if you haven't already
Answer Growth Lab-specific questions: At the end of the application (Page 6), respond to the questions related to the Growth Lab Application.
Submit your application: Click ‘submit’ on Page 7.

18-Month Plan

The centerpiece of Growth Lab is a polished, actionable 18-month business plan that guides your next stage of scale. Over the course of the program, you will:

Define your growth strategy
Complete the Founder’s application if you haven't already
Answer Growth Lab-specific questions: At the end of the application (Page 6), respond to the questions related to the Growth Lab Application.
Submit your application: Click ‘submit’ on Page 7.

What We Offer

A virtual community of LGBTQ+ founders who support and motivate one another.
Mentoring from our entrepreneur-in-residence and direct access to StartOut Experts.
Weekly digital lunch & learns with guest experts covering a broad range of topics presented by founders, experienced professionals, and investors.
A graduation event at the end of your term to celebrate your successes with the StartOut community.
Semi-annual in-person events to connect with present and future cohort members

"I think connections feel stronger when we bond over being part of the LBGTQ+ community – and it’s no different in the startup world. The founders and investors you meet through Growth Lab have a stronger connection because that personal connection bonds us."

"I think having those peers in my Growth Lab Cohort who were also women and queer was affirming to me and something that really sets the Growth Lab apart from other accelerators. It’s been great to see StartOut work so hard to recruit underrepresented founders, and I think it’s been paying off."

"StartOut has been so influential to ConciergeBot’s success. I joined with just a prototype and applied for the GrowthLab to see what kind of feedback I would get. I honestly didn’t think I would get in because of my experience level, but I did! StartOut gave me the confidence I needed to start a business that was more than just a side hobby."

What We Expect

A commitment from your company’s founder(s) to participate in the entire 5-month program while working full time on your startup company.
A spirit of collaboration, volunteerism, and joy in giving back to your peers and others who contribute to your success.
Long hours and hard work to make the most of your tenure at SGL
Mandatory attendance at monthly Lunch & Learn events.
Participate in an in-person kick-off event in San Francisco

What Makes an Ideal Candidate

Company or a subsidiary is registered in the US
Product or service is established in the marketplace
Business runway is 9+ months (not a requirement)
Generating revenue
High-growth companies with a path to scalability

Companies Not Suited for the Growth Lab

Consulting services
Cannabis-related, sex-tech, or firearm companies
Brick-and-mortar businesses
Pre-MVP
Non-profit organizations
A company where the founder is not working full-time in the business

Thank You to Our Growth Lab Sponsors

Cohort Companies

Cohort 16

Cohort 15

Cohort 14

Cohort 13

Cohort 12

Cohort 11

Cohort 10

Cohort 9

Cohort 8

Cohort 7

Cohort 6

Cohort 5

Cohort 4

Cohort 3

Cohort 2

Cohort 1

Program Founders

In 2017, StartOut Director, Andres Wydler, and law partner, Tom Gaynor, discussed the idea of combining the best practices of an accelerator program with the community-based model of StartOut. Scribbling their initial ideas on a napkin, they wanted to support LGBTQ+ founders in scaling their businesses through a cohort-based approach.

They brought their idea to Peter Sisson, a serial entrepreneur, who helped build out the GrowthLab’s very first curriculum. Tom’s law firm, DLA Piper, provided the space and equipment. Peter became StartOut’s first Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) to manage the program. Together, they launched StartOut GrowthLab’s first cohort.

Join StartOut

Since 2009, StartOut has built a community of over 28,000 members. Every year, we provide support to over 700 individual founders. We connect them to expertise, peers, community, and capital. This powerful combination of financial support, skills development, and community contributes to helping fuel innovation, wealth generation and equal access to economic opportunity. Join our growing community today.