SoftBank Vision Fund Emerge Program

What SoftBank Vision Fund Emerge Program does

The SoftBank Vision Fund Emerge Program is an 8-week accelerator operated by SoftBank Investment Advisers, established in 2019 to address the chronic shortage of venture capital available to underrepresented tech founders. The program defines eligible founders as those who identify as non-white, female, LGBTQ+, disabled, or refugees, and serves European seed-stage startups (with a prior US cohort in 2020). Emerge is not a technology product company; it bundles four service layers into a cohort-based offering: (1) capital investment from SoftBank and a coalition of European VCs (Speedinvest, Breega, Cherry Ventures, firstminute capital, Kindred); (2) daily educational programming co-designed with WeWork Labs covering hiring, culture, fundraising, and investor engagement; (3) dedicated mentorship from industry experts and SoftBank portfolio professionals; and (4) a culminating showcase event where cohort companies pitch to 150+ European investors.

The underlying platform is operational rather than technical. There is no proprietary software product, no AI/ML capability, and no API or SDK surface; the core deliverable is a curated, time-bounded program with network access to SoftBank's 300+ technology-led portfolio companies plus the partner VC networks. Distribution is via a self-serve application portal at emergeaccelerator.com, supplemented by VC partner referrals and earned media. The program is free to selected founders, with SoftBank and partners receiving equity stakes in exchange for capital deployment. The 2021 European cohort received over 600 applications from 30 countries for nine seats (~$8.7M committed), with portfolio companies subsequently raising $23M+ in follow-on funding, evidencing the program's value as a deal-flow curation and capital amplification mechanism for SoftBank and its partners rather than a standalone revenue-generating entity.

Name

SoftBank Vision Fund Emerge Program

Legal name

SoftBank Investment Advisers

Website

https://emergeaccelerator.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The SoftBank Vision Fund Emerge Program is an 8-week accelerator run by SoftBank Investment Advisers that provides capital, mentorship, educational programming, and network access to underrepresented European seed-stage founders, operating via competitive cohort-based selection with co-investment from leading European VCs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Scottsdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns from Portfolio Companies: Emerge generates value through equity investments in portfolio companies. The program invests capital in underrepresented founders in exchange for equity stakes. SoftBank invested $2.25M across all companies in the 2021 European cohort, with partner VCs including Speedinvest ($5M into 3 startups), Breega ($1M into 1 startup), and Kindred ($450k) also providing capital.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The SoftBank Vision Fund Emerge Program is a cohort-based 8-week accelerator that provides seed-stage underrepresented founders with capital investment from SoftBank and partner VCs, daily educational programming co-designed with WeWork Labs, dedicated mentorship from industry experts, access to SoftBank's global portfolio network, and a culminating showcase event in front of top-tier investors. The program charges no fees to participating founders and instead takes equity stakes in selected companies in exchange for funding and services.

Product overview

The SoftBank Vision Fund Emerge Program is a unified accelerator platform offering an 8-week customized mentoring program for underrepresented founders. The core offering combines capital investment with educational programming designed by SoftBank and WeWork Labs, dedicated mentorship from industry experts, showcase events for investor presentations, and access to SoftBank's professional networks and Europe's wider VC ecosystem. The program is not a multi-module software platform but rather an integrated accelerator service that bundles funding, mentorship, education, community, and networking access into a singleCohort-based offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emerge Accelerator Program An 8-week accelerator program that promotes diversity in tech by connecting underrepresented founders with capital, mentorship, educational programming, and access to SoftBank networks and Europe's wider VC support ecosystem.
• Emerge Funding Component Capital investment provided by SoftBank Vision Fund Emerge and leading EU seed investors (Speedinvest, Breega, Kindred) to support startup growth.
• Emerge Educational Programming Daily educational programming designed by experts from SoftBank and WeWork Labs, covering topics such as hiring, culture, fundraising, and investor engagement.
• Emerge Mentorship Program Dedicated mentorship connecting founders with industry experts and startup veterans who provide technical and operational expertise to help scale their businesses.
• Emerge Showcase Event Culminating event where cohort companies present their businesses to top investors and industry partners (150+ European investors attended the 2021 showcase) to secure further funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 applications received from 30 countries for 9 spots in 2021 cohort
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers23 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

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• LinklatersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2021Global law firm joins as a strategic partner providing technical advice and expert insight to cohort companies throughout the accelerator duration. Supports portfolio companies with legal and regulatory guidance.
• WeWork LabscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2021WeWork Labs supports Emerge by creating customized educational programming and resources that support underrepresented founders. Provides access to entrepreneur communities and mentorship networking. Collaborated on curriculum development for the 8-week program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Techstars: Techstars runs multiple thematic and geographic accelerator programs with a similar model: cohort-based seed investment, mentorship, and demo day access in exchange for equity. It competes directly with Emerge for European seed-stage founders and is comparable in structure (multi-program, mentor-driven).
• Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the world's largest startup accelerator, running cohort-based programs that provide seed capital, mentorship, and demo day access in exchange for equity. It is the gold-standard comparison for any investor-operated accelerator and competes with Emerge for European seed-stage founders and follow-on VC attention.
• Backstage Capital: Backstage Capital is a US-based VC fund specifically focused on investing in underrepresented founders (women, people of color, LGBTQ+). It is the most direct mission-aligned peer to Emerge's diversity focus and competes for similar founder profiles in the US market.
• Antler: Antler is a global early-stage VC and accelerator with strong European presence, running cohort-based programs that deploy seed capital and intensive mentorship to founders. It is a direct competitor in the European seed-stage accelerator market and operates a similar 'founder-first' community model.

Broad incumbents

• Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play is a large global accelerator and corporate innovation platform running industry-specific cohorts with corporate partners. It is a broader incumbent in the accelerator space with comparable cohort-based investment and partnership-driven model.
• Microsoft for Startups: Microsoft for Startups is a corporate accelerator program providing cloud credits, mentorship, and go-to-market support to seed-stage startups globally. As a corporate-backed accelerator, it parallels Emerge's structure of leveraging a parent organization's resources and network to support founders.
• Google for Startups: Google for Startups runs multiple accelerator programs globally targeting underrepresented founders and seed-stage startups, providing capital, mentorship, and access to Google products and network. As a large corporate accelerator, it is a broader incumbent that competes with Emerge in the diversity-focused accelerator segment.
• SOSV: SOSV is a multi-stage VC that operates multiple accelerator programs (HAX, IndieBio, Chinaccelerator, etc.) targeting deep tech and global founders. It is comparable in scale and operating model to Emerge's cohort-based accelerator approach.

Emerging players

• Female Founders Fund: Female Founders Fund is an early-stage VC fund focused exclusively on investing in women-led companies. While fund-based rather than accelerator-based, it targets a closely related underrepresented founder segment and competes for similar deal flow and LP mindshare in the diversity-focused investing space.
• Blackbox (formerly Blackbox Connect): Blackbox is a US-based accelerator and community focused on connecting international and diverse founders with Silicon Valley investors and mentors. It is an emerging player with overlapping mission focus on founder diversity and transnational founder support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments12 records

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

Frequently asked questions about SoftBank Vision Fund Emerge Program