Madworks Seed Accelerator

What Madworks Seed Accelerator does

Madworks Seed Accelerator is a 12-week, in-person startup accelerator program operated by StartingBlock Madison, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based at 821 E Washington Ave, Suite 200, Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 2014, the program selects 8 Wisconsin-based for-profit startups per cohort and provides each with a $5,000 operational grant, a 1-year StartingBlock flex-desk membership, mentorship from subject matter experts, and structured educational programming. The core curriculum targets investment readiness — covering legal, financial, and governance principles, financial statement development, next-round funding preparation, team/advisor formation, and public speaking skills — and explicitly prioritizes companies preparing for first-time funding events such as VC rounds, bank loans, or angel investment.

The underlying service model is mentorship-driven rather than technology-driven; there are no proprietary software products, AI capabilities, or platform technologies associated with the program. Program delivery is entirely in-person at StartingBlock Madison's coworking and entrepreneurship hub, with the full cohort meeting Wednesday afternoons for educational programming and individual mentor sessions scheduled Thursday afternoons. Participants must commit a minimum of 20 hours per week to their venture. Madworks is the flagship offering within StartingBlock's broader programming portfolio, which also includes Level Set, Next Level, Leap Year, a Midwest Housing Accelerator, and an Associated Bank Veterans Cohort.

The business model is grant-funded and free for participants. The accelerator charges no fees, takes no equity stake, and operates as a community-impact program sustained by StartingBlock's nonprofit funding sources. Marketing and recruitment rely on StartingBlock's digital presence (website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, email newsletter), weekly networking events, and word-of-mouth through the Wisconsin entrepreneurial community. The program caps annual intake at 8 startups and operates within a strict Wisconsin geographic boundary, with no remote participation or out-of-state applicants accepted.

Name

Madworks Seed Accelerator

Legal name

StartingBlock Madison, Inc

Website

https://madworksaccelerator.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Madworks Seed Accelerator is a free, 12-week in-person startup accelerator operated by StartingBlock Madison, a Wisconsin 501(c)(3), serving 8 Wisconsin-based early-stage startups per cohort with a $5,000 grant, mentorship, and investment-readiness curriculum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator Services

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Startup accelerator program
• Seed-stage mentorship
• Investment readiness training
• Entrepreneur education services
• Nonprofit incubator program

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Funded Operations: Madworks is a free program for participants, funded through grants and support. The program provides $5,000 grants to each participating startup. StartingBlock Madison is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, indicating the program is sustained through charitable contributions and organizational funding rather than revenue from participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Madworks Seed Accelerator is a free 12-week in-person accelerator program for up to 8 Wisconsin-based pre-seed and early-stage startups per cohort. Each selected company receives a $5,000 operational grant, a one-year StartingBlock flex-desk membership, weekly cohort educational programming, individual mentor sessions, and access to StartingBlock's mentor and subject-matter expert network, with the curriculum focused on investment readiness ahead of first-time VC, bank, or angel funding events.

Product overview

Madworks Seed Accelerator operates as a single flagship offering: the Madworks Accelerator Program, a 12-week in-person accelerator based at StartingBlock Madison, Wisconsin. The program provides participating startups with a $5,000 operational grant, a 1-year flex-desk membership at StartingBlock, and access to follow-up programming in the fall. The curriculum focuses on investment readiness, covering legal, financial, and governance principles, financial statements, fundraising strategy, and public speaking skills, combined with mentorship sessions and networking opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Madworks Accelerator Program A flagship 12-week in-person accelerator program hosted at StartingBlock Madison in Wisconsin. Selected startups receive a $5,000 operational grant, a 1-year StartingBlock flex-desk membership, weekly cohort educational programming on Wednesday afternoons, individual mentor sessions on Thursday afternoons, access to StartingBlock's network of mentors and subject matter experts, and fall follow-up programming. The curriculum is heavily structured toward investment readiness ahead of first-time VC, bank, or angel funding events.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• StartingBlock MadisoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartingBlock Madison is the host organization and operator of the Madworks accelerator program. Madworks is described as 'powered by StartingBlock' and 'our flagship 12-week accelerator program.' StartingBlock provides workspace, mentorship networks, educational programming, and administrative support. StartingBlock Madison, Inc is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located at 821 E Washington Ave, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53703.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/madworksstartup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@StartingBlockMadison
• Facebookfacebook.com/StartingBlockMadison
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/8239903
• Instagraminstagram.com/startingblockmadison

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments90 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Madworks Seed Accelerator