Started Accelerator
Started Accelerator is a New York-based EdTech-focused accelerator running an equity-free annual membership program (approximately $5,000-$6,000) with masterclasses, peer CEO circles, and the annual EDTECH WEEK event for early- to growth-stage education technology founders globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Started Accelerator does
Started Accelerator, operated by Started Companies Inc. (a US public-benefit corporation founded in 2016 and headquartered in New York City), is an EdTech-focused accelerator that runs a tiered membership program targeting early- to growth-stage education technology companies (pre-seed through pre-Series B, up to approximately $10 million in funding or revenue). The core offering is StartEd Membership, which includes access to introductory programs (Immersion for traction-stage companies and Bootcamp for early-stage founders), AI-enhanced masterclasses, peer advisory through StartEd Circles, and fractional executive support via StartEd Advisors. The company also produces EDTECH WEEK, an annual flagship event in New York City that anchors the community with EdTech Shark Tanks (investors deploying up to $100,000 into finalists) and the EdTech Expo (1,000+ curated customers), and has built a network of 500+ mentors and luminaries with prior exposure to 10,000+ EdTech founders.
Underlying technology and platform architecture center on a hybrid delivery stack: a virtual coworking layer (Slack plus a dedicated portal), live and asynchronous masterclass content, on-demand courses including the AI Mastercourse in EdTech, and structured application/onboarding workflows on started.com. AI capabilities are embedded at the application layer via third-party tools (notably ChatGPT) for prompting instruction, customer discovery analysis, and sales/outreach automation templates; the company does not disclose proprietary models or in-house AI R&D.
The business model is a recurring subscription: core membership is priced at $5,000-$6,000 per year (or $500 per month), with an optional $500/year team add-on and a separate paid AI Mastercourse. Programs are equity-free, and membership fees can be subsidized by third-party investors or strategic partners. Go-to-market blends community-led referral growth (mentor and alumni networks), an event-driven motion anchored by EDTECH WEEK, and a sales-led common application with rolling weekly admissions. With 11-50 employees, cohorts intentionally sized at approximately 10 companies (Immersion) or 20 founders (Bootcamp), and approximately 40% of alumni operating internationally, the operation is positioned as a niche, community-driven accelerator rather than a high-throughput venture platform.
Started Accelerator firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Started Accelerator
- Legal name
- Started Companies Inc.
- Website
- https://started.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Started Accelerator is a New York-based EdTech-focused accelerator running an equity-free annual membership program (approximately $5,000-$6,000) with masterclasses, peer CEO circles, and the annual EDTECH WEEK event for early- to growth-stage education technology founders globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Started Accelerator industry classification
Industry- Product category
- EdTech Accelerator Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)
Keywords
Where Started Accelerator is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Started Accelerator business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for access to programs, masterclasses, network, and advisory support. Programs are equity-free. Fees can be subsidized by third parties such as investors or strategic partners.
- Mastercourse Sales: AI Mastercourse in EdTech sold as additional program with early registrant discounts available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Core Membership - Annual |
| Subscription | Monthly | Core Membership - Monthly |
| Subscription | Annual | Team Add-on |
| Subscription | Monthly | StartEd Membership with Advisory |
| Subscription | Annual | Intro: Immersion Program |
| Subscription | Annual | Intro: Bootcamp Program |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | AI Mastercourse |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Started Accelerator product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Started Accelerator runs a tiered, equity-free EdTech accelerator membership that gives founders access to community, capital, connections, and culture through a 500+ mentor network. Core offerings include the StartEd Membership with Immersion and Bootcamp programs, AI-enhanced masterclasses, StartEd Circles peer groups, StartEd Advisors fractional executives, and the annual EDTECH WEEK festival featuring Shark Tank pitch competitions.
Product overview
StartEd is an EdTech accelerator offering a tiered membership program that provides founders with community, capital, connections, and culture. The core offering is StartEd Membership, which includes access to introductory programs (Immersion for traction-stage companies and Bootcamp for early-stage founders), AI-enhanced masterclasses, peer advisory Circles, and fractional executive Advisors. The annual EDTECH WEEK festival anchors the community with Shark Tank pitch competitions and Expo showcases. A standalone mastercourse titled 'How To Get Your First Paying EdTech Customers in 90 Days' covers product-market fit, customer discovery, MVP building, and sales processes with AI prompting techniques. The programs are equity-free and support EdTech companies from pre-seed through pre-Series B.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- StartEd Membership Annual membership for EdTech founders giving access to one-to-one advisory sessions, peer coaching, AI-enhanced masterclasses, StartEd Circles, the StartEd Network of 500+ mentors, and EDTECH WEEK participation.
- StartEd Immersion Intensive consecutive-day program (~4 hours/day) for companies with traction and up to $10MM in funding or revenue, including mentor and investor meetings, advanced fundraising, US market entry, and distribution support.
- StartEd Bootcamp Part-time program (~4 hours/week for consecutive weeks) for early-stage entrepreneurs seeking to achieve or enhance early product traction and customers, with peer cohort feedback, pitch deck development, and virtual demo day.
- EDTECH WEEK Annual #1 EdTech event in New York City gathering senior leaders, operators, and investors to grow and exit EdTech companies; includes Shark Tanks, Expo, and networking.
- EdTech Shark Tanks Pitch competitions providing visibility within K-12, HigherEd, and Adult Learning networks, with prolific investors investing up to $100,000 in finalist companies.
- StartEd Circles Small group discussions with EdTech CEOs organized by company stage and vertical, providing peer advisory and peer mentorship.
- StartEd Advisors Fractional executive support across Fundraising, Sales, Go-to-Market, Product, and Talent domains providing strategic advisory to EdTech founders.
- AI Mastercourse: How To Get Your First Paying EdTech Customers in 90 Days Standalone mastercourse covering product-market fit, AI-enabled customer discovery, MVP building, founder-led sales, cold outreach systems, and business model selection; distilled to less than 3 hours.
- Masterclasses Live and asynchronous training for EdTech teams led by practitioners covering customer development, product development, growth hacking, and pitching.
Quantifiable outcome
- EdTech Shark Tank investors invest up to $100,000 in finalists
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Started Accelerator
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Started Accelerator technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
Started Accelerator partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Immigration Legal PartnersminorReferral partnership with immigration legal partners for companies requiring complex visa assistance beyond temporary tourist visas for US program participation.
- EdTech Expo Customerscore1,000+ customers who attend EdTech Expo, selected based on alignment with member companies. Provides market access and customer acquisition opportunities for StartEd members.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Started Accelerator competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Y Combinator: Largest general-purpose startup accelerator with a dedicated EdTech/education track. Comparable accelerator model and EdTech founder support, but at vastly greater scale and with an equity-based model that contrasts with StartEd's equity-free approach.
- Techstars: Global accelerator network with multiple industry-specific programs including EdTech. Comparable in accelerator mechanics (cohorts, mentorship, demo day), but operates as a broad incumbent with equity participation rather than a vertical specialist.
Direct peers
- ImagineK12 (now part of Y Combinator): Originally a dedicated EdTech accelerator that merged with Y Combinator to form YC's education vertical. Highly comparable to StartEd as a prior EdTech-specific accelerator with cohort-based programs and an investor network.
- 4.0 Schools: EdTech-focused incubator and accelerator supporting founders building innovative learning solutions. Comparable in target audience (education innovators), program structure (incubator-style support), and mission-driven framing.
- NewSchools Venture Fund: Mission-driven EdTech-focused investor and incubator that supports education entrepreneurs across K-12 and beyond. Closely comparable to StartEd in vertical focus, founder-support orientation, and non-traditional (often non-equity or grant-based) support models.
- Kaplan EdTech Accelerator: EdTech-focused accelerator operated within the Kaplan ecosystem supporting early-stage education ventures. Comparable vertical specialization, founder support programs, and connections to established education players.
Regional players
- Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA): NYC-based early-stage accelerator with broad sector focus including EdTech. Comparable in geography (New York), accelerator format, and access to the NYC founder/investor ecosystem, though it is not EdTech-verticalized like StartEd.
Emerging players
- 1776 (now Chapter): Accelerator and startup platform with an education/healthcare orientation and strong event programming. Comparable in operating accelerator + community + event-driven model, though historically Washington D.C.-anchored rather than NYC.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Started Accelerator social profiles
Digital presenceStarted Accelerator financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Started Accelerator leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Started Accelerator funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Started Accelerator M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments7 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Started Accelerator
What does Started Accelerator do?
Started Accelerator runs a tiered, equity-free EdTech accelerator membership that gives founders access to community, capital, connections, and culture through a 500+ mentor network. Core offerings include the StartEd Membership with Immersion and Bootcamp programs, AI-enhanced masterclasses, StartEd Circles peer groups, StartEd Advisors fractional executives, and the annual EDTECH WEEK festival featuring Shark Tank pitch competitions.
Is Started Accelerator a public or private company?
Started Accelerator is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Started Accelerator founded?
Started Accelerator was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Started Accelerator based?
Started Accelerator is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Started Accelerator make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are mastercourse Sales.
Who are Started Accelerator's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Y Combinator and Techstars. Direct peers are ImagineK12 (now part of Y Combinator), 4.0 Schools, NewSchools Venture Fund and Kaplan EdTech Accelerator. Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) is listed as a regional player. 1776 (now Chapter) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Started Accelerator have an API?
No public API is recorded for Started Accelerator.
What industry is Started Accelerator in?
Started Accelerator's product category is EdTech Accelerator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated), with a secondary code of EDAMAHAC, Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8600.