What Stella Labs does

Stella Foundation (operating as Stella Labs and previously known as Stella Labs) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2012 by Dr. Silvia Mah in San Diego, California. It operates a four-pillar ecosystem (Community, Courses, Capital, Conferences) targeting female founders from pre-revenue through Series A, and the women investors who fund them. The organization's functional product portfolio spans a free digital community platform (community.stella.co) hosting 300+ educational modules, 100+ worksheets, masterclasses, and 1:1 mentorship office hours; the Stella Labs Accelerator, a 16-week equity-free pre-seed program; Stella Angels, a national angel investor network with quarterly showcases and a $50K minimum check size; the annual Women's Venture Summit (now in its 13th year); Women's Fast Pitch, a national pitch competition spanning five regions; regional Stella Chapters (SoCal, Upstate NY, Stamford CT, Twin Cities); and the Founders Raising private investment portal. The angel syndication operates deal-by-deal rather than as a fund.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed but is generated through corporate sponsorships (BMO, Carta, Cooley, Dell, Deloitte, HubSpot, JPMorgan), individual and foundation donations, event sponsorships, and angel syndication participation fees. The organization reports cumulative impact metrics of $250M+ in capital connected to female founders since 2012, 20,000+ women served annually, 5,000+ community platform members, and 6 exits plus 1 IPO across 130+ startups invested in by its founder. Leadership comprises CEO Flossie Hall, Founder & President Dr. Silvia Mah, Chief Programs Officer Rylie Jennings, Chief Technology Officer Angie Schultz, and Partnerships Associate Bee Alvarado, supported by a Board of Directors and Advisory Council of investors and ecosystem leaders. Strategic priorities in 2025 have centered on geographic chapter expansion, a new hybrid accelerator format launched with ROC Women's Business Center, and a distribution-oriented partnership with Women In Cloud.

Name

Stella Labs

Legal name

Stella Foundation

Website

https://stella.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stella Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating an ecosystem of programs - free community platform, equity-free accelerator, angel investor network, and pitch competitions - serving 20,000+ women founders and investors annually, funded through corporate sponsorships and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Women startup accelerator
• Angel investor network
• Pitch competition platform
• Female founder education
• Entrepreneurship community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships & Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsors fund programs, events, and founder scholarships. Sponsors include BMO, Carta, Cooley, Dell, HubSpot, JPMorgan, and others.
2. Donations & Philanthropic Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and foundations supporting the mission. Stella Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
3. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship packages for Women's Venture Summit, Women's Fast Pitch, Oxytocin Tour, and local chapters.
4. Angel Investment Network (Stella Angels): Minimum $50K check sizes from accredited investors; Stella Angels syndicates investments in female-led startups. Not a fund - deal-by-deal participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Stella Labs (Stella Foundation) is a nonprofit that runs a four-pillar ecosystem supporting female founders and women investors: a free digital community platform with 300+ education modules and mentorship matching, the 16-week equity-free Stella Labs pre-seed accelerator, the Stella Angels national investor network that syndicates $50K+ checks via quarterly showcases, and events including the annual Women's Venture Summit and Women's Fast Pitch competition. Revenue comes from corporate sponsorships, donations, and event sponsorships, not from founders or investors.

Product overview

Stella Foundation is a nonprofit social enterprise operating as an ecosystem of interconnected programs rather than a single unified product. Its portfolio is organized around four pillars: Community (free digital platform with 300+ modules and mentorship), Courses/Labs (equity-free accelerator programs and investor education), Capital (Stella Angels investor network and Founders Raising portal), and Conferences (Women’s Venture Summit, Women’s Fast Pitch, Oxytocin Tour, and Elevate Summits). Programs interconnect through shared access to the Stella Community platform, with offerings like the AIR/EIR Residencies, Stella Chapters, and Mentorship Program acting as cross-cutting support layers. The Stella Labs Accelerator serves as the flagship cohort-based product, while Stella Angels functions as the investment arm connecting funded founders to capital-ready investors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stella Labs Accelerator: A 16-week equity-free pre-seed accelerator for women founders
• Stella Angels
• Women's Venture Summit
• Women's Fast Pitch
• Elevate Women's Summit
• Stella Angels
• Stella Chapters
• Founders Raising

Products and services

• Stella Labs Accelerator A 16-week virtual pre-seed, equity-free accelerator for women founders providing business-development training, mentorship, pitch preparation, investor-ready pitch deck support, financial modeling, demo day showcase, and access to grants and funding opportunities.
• Stella Angels A national investor network connecting experienced and emerging investors to high-growth, women-led startups through quarterly virtual pitch showcases, hands-on pitch preparation, and due diligence support, facilitating direct investment (minimum $50K check) into pre-seed female founders.
• Women's Fast Pitch A nationwide pitch competition for early-stage female founders spanning five virtual regional events culminating in a live national finale at the Women's Venture Summit, with $50K+ in grants, investments, and in-kind services awarded to winners.
• Women's Venture Summit The annual flagship conference held in San Diego, connecting female founders with investors and ecosystem leaders through capital matchmaking, panels, deal-flow sessions, and networking roundtables; now in its 13th year with 2026 edition confirmed.
• Stella Community Platform Free digital community platform providing women founders and investors with 300+ education modules, 100+ worksheets, monthly masterclasses, 1:1 mentorship office hours, and partner discounts on legal, financial, and startup tools.
• Stella Chapters Local hub network led by community builders that brings education, resources, mentorship, and funding opportunities to regional communities through bi-monthly in-person meetups, annual Elevate Summits, and investor-founder events; active in SoCal, Upstate NY, Stamford CT, and Twin Cities MN.
• Oxytocin Tour A traveling event series partnering with regional startup ecosystems to host interactive networking, education sessions, fireside chats, investor showcases, and founder-investor dinners across cities nationwide.
• Elevate Women's Business Summit A one-day regional conference empowering female founders, investors, and community partners through education, networking, and funding opportunities, highlighting local startup ecosystems and regional investment networks.
• Angels-in-Residence (AIR) Program Immersive experience for emerging female investors to refine investment thesis, learn due diligence, and actively participate in Stella Angels deal flow, with mentorship from experienced investors and opportunities to judge pitch competitions and speak at events.
• Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Program Leadership development program pairing experienced founders with early-stage women entrepreneurs through Stella Labs, Women's Fast Pitch, and Women's Venture Summit, providing mentorship, speaking and judging opportunities, and access to national investor networks.
• Stella Angels Capital Readiness Curriculum Investor education program designed to demystify angel investing, provide hands-on deal evaluation experience, and build a network of women investors through modules on due diligence, portfolio building, and live investment simulations.
• Founders Raising Private investment portal for founders actively raising capital, providing visibility to an exclusive network of angels, VCs, and strategic funders, with a dedicated listing in Stella's private investor platform and opportunities to be featured in investor showcases and pitch events.
• Stella Mentorship Program Network of experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts providing mentorship through masterclasses, 1:1 office hours, Stella Angels pitch prep, Women's Fast Pitch judging, and speed mentoring at Elevate and Women's Venture Summit events (40+ mentors per accelerator cohort).

Quantifiable outcome

• $250M+ in capital connected to female founders since 2012
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ROC Women's Business CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2025Partnership to launch the Empower Her Business Challenge, a 7-week hybrid accelerator program supporting up to 20 women founders in the Greater Rochester region. Includes weekly in-person mentorship, Stella's online curriculum, and Demo Day at the Upstate NY Gala.
• Women In CloudcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic partnership to enhance go-to-market success within the enterprise customer ecosystem. Focus on accelerating GTM outcomes for women-led businesses.
• Nasdaq Entrepreneurial CentermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInnovation-focused partnership helping women founders hit critical funding milestones through educational programming and founder showcases.
• Angel Capital Association (ACA)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerNation's largest collective of angel investors providing investor education, best practices, and syndication opportunities for early-stage investments.
• Fearless FundmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerVC firm investing in women of color-led businesses; partnership for inclusive funding advocacy and founder support.
• Cooley LLPmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing legal support and resources for women founders. Co-sponsored Women’s Fast Pitch 2022.
• CartamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCap table management platform partner providing startup tools and resources for Stella community members.
• DeloittemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional services sponsor providing expertise and visibility for Stella programs.
• Dell TechnologiesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology sponsor providing hardware and startup support for women-led businesses.
• Hello AlicemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmall business platform partner providing resources and referrals for women entrepreneurs.
• SBDC (Small Business Development Centers)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFederal small business resources providing local support and referrals for Stella founders.
• Lawn泰 Startup WeekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional startup ecosystem partner hosting Stella events at NY Tech Week, LA Tech Week, Portland Startup Week.
• Hera HubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFemale-focused coworking space partner hosting SoCal chapter events.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• All Raise: Nonprofit organization focused on increasing diversity and representation in the venture capital and tech ecosystem, with programs for women founders and funders. Closely analogous to Stella's mission of expanding women's access to capital and investor activation.
• Springboard Enterprises: Long-running accelerator program specifically for women-led companies seeking venture capital, providing curated access to investors and advisory networks. Directly comparable to Stella Labs Accelerator on target customer and capital-connection mission.
• Hello Alice: Small business support platform with grant programs, resources, and community for underserved founders including women and BIPOC entrepreneurs. A stated Stella partner offering adjacent founder-support services with overlapping audience and grant-based revenue models.

Emerging players

• Female Founders Fund: Early-stage venture fund investing in women-led companies with enterprise and consumer focus. Comparable as a capital channel for the same founder audience Stella serves, though operating as a traditional VC rather than an accelerator/network.
• Halogen Ventures: Early-stage venture fund led by Jesse Draper investing in women and people of color-led startups. Overlaps with Stella's mission of supporting underrepresented founders and complements Stella Angels as a downstream capital partner.
• Bumble Fund: Early-stage investment fund backing women of color and underrepresented founders, founded by Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd. Comparable as a women-focused capital provider that founders in Stella's pipeline frequently tap.
• Pipeline Angels: Network training women to become angel investors and deploy capital into women-owned and social impact businesses. Directly analogous to Stella Angels and the AIR Program in activating emerging women investors.
• Backstage Capital: Pre-seed venture fund and accelerator founded by Arlan Hamilton that invests in underrepresented founders including women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. Directly comparable as a women-of-color-focused capital channel with portfolio overlap to Stella Angels.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: One of the largest global accelerator networks with sector- and geography-specific programs. While not women-focused, it is the dominant comparable for cohort-based accelerator structure, mentorship model, and demo-day deal flow that Stella Labs emulates.
• Y Combinator: The world's largest startup accelerator, providing seed funding, mentorship, and community to early-stage founders. Comparable on accelerator structure and founder community mechanics but operates at far greater scale and as a for-profit entity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stella-labs
• Xx.com/stellalabs_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Stella Labs