The Warehouse Business Accelerator

What The Warehouse Business Accelerator does

The Warehouse Business Accelerator (WBA) is a Loveland, Colorado-based 501(c)-style nonprofit founded in 2013 by Jay Dokter and Dan Kamrath that helps second-stage manufacturing and advanced-technology companies in Northern Colorado navigate the transition from startup to scale-up. Its core offering combines two program lines — a four-month hybrid cohort program called the Make It Accelerator and a custom Strategy Roadmap mentorship engagement — delivered alongside physical infrastructure at the 48,000 sq ft Warehouse Innovation Hub inside the Forge Campus, the former HP manufacturing facility. The hub provides plug-and-play industrial infrastructure (3-phase power, compressed air, loading docks, a shared equipment shop and prototype lab featuring a Tormach CNC 1100, and RFID-certified machine training via an LMS) that member companies sublease on flexible terms.

WBA's business model rests on three revenue streams: subleasing production floor and office space to member companies, accelerator and mentorship program fees, and grants/donations from public and philanthropic sources. The physical space is enabled by a donated 10-year lease on the Forge Campus from the founders' investor group, which materially reduces capital intensity and underwrites affordable pricing for early-stage members. Marketing is primarily regional, anchored by a bi-monthly Innovation Insight newsletter, blog content, the annual Innovation Showcase Demo Day, and Colorado Gives Day fundraising, with the 2026 Colorado Manufacturing Network Manufacturing Champion Award providing external validation. Over a five-year window, the organization reports 35 member companies that collectively generated $120M+ in revenue, raised $28M in capital, employed 160+ people, and created 71 new jobs. Recent capital inflows include a $250,000 Colorado OEDIT Collaborative Infrastructure grant (2019), a $10,000 Community Foundation expansion grant (2023), and a $544,000 federal EDA grant (2025), with the 4th and final manufacturing pod nearing completion in 2025 ahead of Certificate of Occupancy from the City of Loveland.

Name

The Warehouse Business Accelerator

Legal name

Warehouse Business Accelerator

Website

https://warehouseinnovation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Warehouse Business Accelerator is a Loveland, Colorado nonprofit that helps second-stage manufacturing and advanced-technology startups scale up through cohort programs, custom mentorship, and a 48,000-square-foot plug-and-play Innovation Hub at the former HP Forge Campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Accelerator Services

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)

Keywords

• Business accelerator programs
• Manufacturing scaleup support
• Innovation hub services
• Entrepreneur mentorship programs
• Shared prototyping lab

Headquarters

HQ city

Loveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Space Subleasing: Subleasing production and office space to member companies. The nonprofit was donated a 10-year lease on 48,000 square feet of Forge Campus, allowing sustainable operation through sublease revenues.
2. Accelerator Program Fees: Revenue from Make It Accelerator cohort program and Strategy Roadmap mentorship program. Four-month Make It Accelerator provides business support services, training, and mentorship.
3. Grants & Donations: Funding from grants (EDA, Colorado OEDIT, Community Foundation) and donations from supporters. Capital campaign supported by donors who value entrepreneurship and understand manufacturing's economic impact.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Warehouse Business Accelerator operates a 48,000 sq ft Innovation Hub inside the Forge Campus in Loveland, Colorado, providing accelerator programs, mentorship, shared equipment, and flexible production-floor space to help manufacturing and technology companies scale up. Its core offerings include the four-month Make It Accelerator cohort program and the custom Strategy Roadmap mentorship, both supported by physical infrastructure including shared machine shop, prototype lab, plug-and-play industrial utilities, and meeting rooms.

Product overview

The Warehouse Business Accelerator operates as a multi-service innovation hub offering a portfolio of programs and infrastructure services designed to help manufacturing and technology companies scale from startup through growth phases. The core offerings include the four-month Make It Accelerator cohort program and custom Strategy Roadmap mentorship, both supported by access to the Innovation Hub Facility with production floor spaces, shared equipment shop, and meeting rooms. Additional support services include mentoring, scaleup strategy consulting, education/training programs, community networking, and access to professional connections. The organization functions as a nonprofit accelerator rather than a single software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Warehouse Innovation Hub: The 48,000 sf facility at Forge Campus providing flexible, affordable and secure production floor spaces, meeting rooms, shared resources, plug-and-play industrial infrastructure, and loading dock for technology and manufacturing companies.
• Make It Accelerator
• Strategy Roadmap
• Innovation Showcase

Products and services

• Make It Accelerator A four-month hybrid cohort accelerator program designed to help manufacturing businesses overcome scale-up challenges and achieve sustainable growth. Includes in-person cohort training, one-on-one virtual mentorship, customizable education, and connections to a regional network of industry advisors.
• Strategy Roadmap A custom mentorship program offering ongoing individual mentorship to help companies build a scalable and sustainable business around their innovation, covering funding and financing, people and culture, processes and systems.
• Innovation Hub Facility (Warehouse Innovation Hub) Northern Colorado's home for next-generation technology and manufacturing companies, providing flexible, affordable, and secure production floor spaces, meeting rooms, shared resources, plug-and-play industrial infrastructure, loading dock access, and shared equipment shop with prototyping capabilities.
• Shared Equipment Shop & Prototype Lab A shared machine shop and prototype lab equipped with over a dozen machines including Tormach CNC 1100, bead blaster, multimeters, lab power supplies, precision measurement instruments, 3D printing supplies, advanced electronics testing gear, industrial workbenches, and safety equipment for rapid prototyping, testing, and development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35 member companies generated $120M+ in revenue and raised $28M in capital over 5 years, employing 160+ people and creating 71 new jobs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forge CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2025Forge Campus is the former HP manufacturing facility acquired by Northern Colorado entrepreneurs including Jay Dokter and Dan Kamrath. They donated a 10-year lease of 48,000 square feet to the Warehouse Business Accelerator to establish the Innovation Hub.
• Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems (ATS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023New member that donated significant volume of high-quality equipment to support the Shared Equipment Shop and Prototype Lab, including Tormach CNC 1100 Machine, bead blaster, multimeters, lab power supplies, and fabrication tools.
• Colorado State University Technology Transfer ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged in establishing the Warehouse Innovation Hub as a collaborative community effort with engagement from CSU's technology transfer program.
• Northern Colorado Manufacturing Sector PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development partner engaged in establishing the Innovation Hub as a collaborative community effort.
• Loveland Business PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly startup funding source and convening body that originally floated the incubator idea in 2012, leading to eventual founding of Warehouse Business Accelerator.
• Loveland PulseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity-owned fiber-optic internet and utility service provider, moved in as neighbor at Forge Campus and became sponsor. Supports innovation and economic growth in Northern Colorado.
• Better ProcesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellow warehouse automation company whose founder took on role of CTO at Insight Ultrasonics. Collaboration allowed Insight to access automation engineering expertise without traditional payroll structure. Example of cross-member collaboration.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• gener8tor: Runs accelerator cohorts and has a dedicated investment arm, focused on connecting founders with mentors and capital. Directly comparable accelerator program structure and mentor-led approach.
• Artisan's Asylum: Somerville, MA makerspace and fabrication studio providing shared equipment, training, and community for hardware entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to WBA's Shared Equipment Shop & Prototype Lab offering.
• 1871: Chicago-based nonprofit innovation hub and incubator providing workspace, mentorship, and programming to technology startups. Closely matches WBA's combination of physical hub + accelerator programming + community.
• MassChallenge: Global nonprofit accelerator offering cohort programs, mentorship, and access to corporate partners for early-stage startups. Closely matches WBA's nonprofit, cohort-driven, mentor-led model.
• Techstars: One of the largest global accelerator networks running cohort-based programs for startups with mentor-driven models. Highly comparable as a direct accelerator competitor, though Techstars operates at much larger scale and for-profit.
• Rev1 Ventures: Columbus, Ohio-based startup accelerator/venture fund combining cohort programming, mentorship, and follow-on capital. Comparable hybrid accelerator + investor model for regional manufacturing/tech founders.

Broad incumbents

• Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): Large operator of innovation campuses and coworking for startups and growth companies across multiple cities. Comparable physical hub operator serving scale-ups, though more general-purpose (not manufacturing-focused).
• MaRS Discovery District: Toronto-based innovation hub offering programs, mentorship, and physical infrastructure to entrepreneurs in advanced industries. Comparable nonprofit hub + accelerator model for tech/manufacturing founders.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global innovation platform and accelerator running corporate-startup programs and operating physical innovation hubs. Overlaps with WBA's accelerator programming and hub infrastructure at much larger scale.

Others

• Northern Colorado Angel Investors: Regional angel investing group serving Northern Colorado founders. Adjacent ecosystem participant — not an accelerator, but a likely downstream capital source for WBA member companies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/1467984383525657
• Instagraminstagram.com/warehouseinnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6592518

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Warehouse Business Accelerator