EvolveX Accelerator Program

EvolveX is We Founder Circle's accelerator and the only intake we could verify. It runs in numbered cohorts, invests in each selected startup in exchange for equity, and puts the cohort through three months of training led by industry experts and CXOs. Applications were open for its eighth cohort when we last checked. Its own pages call the programme hybrid in one place and virtual in another, so expect mostly online sessions.

What you get

• Investment in exchange for equity, with the percentage stated but described as variable by company.
• A structured three-month programme of sessions led by industry experts and CXOs, shaped around what the startups in your cohort need.
• One-to-one mentoring from the EvolveX team and its mentor bench, which it sizes at more than fifty people and which is largely made up of founders of its own portfolio companies.
• Help with financial, legal, technical and go-to-market problems.
• Access to the We Founder Circle investor community through its own platform.
• Follow-on fundraising support for stronger performers: a demo day in front of outside investors, a profile on the group's Invstt investment platform, and introductions to VC funds and angel networks.
• Corporate introductions through its partnerships with corporate innovation programmes, plus invitations to portfolio events and exhibitions.

Who can apply

• Sector agnostic. Named sectors include AI, clean tech and sustainability, deep tech, consumer brands, SaaS, agri tech, health tech, sports and gaming, with fintech and ed tech added elsewhere.
• Startups raising a first cheque or a pre-seed or seed round.
• Pre-revenue startups with a proof of concept or a working MVP. Revenue-generating startups may also apply. One of their pages also accepts idea-stage startups and the other does not, so ask first if you are pre-prototype.
• DPIIT-recognised startups. They list this as a criterion for applicants.
• No city, state, age or category restriction is stated, and there is no student or host-institute gate. Because the investment is closed with share subscription paperwork, an incorporated company is needed in practice.

How selection works: applications are screened, then three to four rounds of discussion with the founders, then a pitch to the investment committee. They put the whole evaluation at four to six weeks on one page and seven to eight weeks on another. Decisions rest mainly on the founding team, the product or idea and the size of the opportunity. They say they typically select five to seven startups per cohort. Founders who are turned down may apply again to a later cohort, and are asked to do so only after making real progress.

How to apply: fill in the online application form linked from the Apply button on the EvolveX site, or write to support@evolvexaccelerator.com. There is no published deadline, so apply while a cohort is being advertised.