What Catapult Lakeland does

Catapult Lakeland is a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit business incubator founded in 2014 by the Lakeland Economic Development Council and headquartered in a single state-of-the-art facility at 502 E. Main St. in downtown Lakeland, Florida. It operates three co-located vertical incubators under one roof: a Workspace incubator providing offices, dedicated desks, and coworking; a Kitchen incubator providing hourly and tiered access to commercial kitchen equipment for restaurants, bakeries, and consumer packaged goods brands; and a Makerspace incubator providing shared wood, metal, 3D printing, textile, electronics, laser, and micro-factory equipment for manufacturing and engineering entrepreneurs. Membership pricing is subsidized by donor contributions and ranges from approximately $170/month for shared coworking seats to $385/month for private offices, with kitchen access structured as a $300/month minimum for 20 hours of billable time.

The organization layers two funded programs on top of the three incubators: the Launch Micro-Grant Program, which provides up to $10,000 to qualifying Lakeland small businesses and up to $2,500 to students (with a 25% giveback obligation within 24 months), and the Experts in Residence mentorship program, which pairs founders with advisors across twelve functional areas. A separate Room Rentals business rents seven distinct event and meeting spaces at $30-$250 per hour to members and external organizations. Members additionally receive access to more than $500,000 in enterprise software perks distributed through partner relationships with Google Cloud, Microsoft, AWS, HubSpot, Canva, and Stripe.

Go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven rather than commercial sales. Catapult acquires members through referral channels at Florida Southern College, Florida Polytechnic University, and Polk State College, with Florida Southern's Seed-to-Scale pipeline having scaled from 30 to 420 students in nine months under the current partnership. A consortium of regional banks (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, MIDFLORIDA, Regions, Truist, SouthState, Bank of Central Florida) funds the Launch program in exchange for panel seats and reputational exposure. Corporate sponsors (Publix, Lakeland Regional Health) and the Launch Investor program (minimum $5,000/year) round out the fundraising base. Approximately half of operating revenue comes from membership dues and event/room income, with the remaining half from private donations and corporate sponsorships; the organization has no disclosed venture capital or private equity backing. Eligibility for the Launch Micro-Grant program is geographically restricted to Lakeland proper, excluding other Polk County jurisdictions.

Name

Catapult Lakeland

Legal name

Catapult Lakeland

Website

https://catapultlakeland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Catapult Lakeland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit business incubator in downtown Lakeland, Florida, offering co-located Workspace, Kitchen, and Makerspace facilities alongside micro-grant funding and mentorship for local entrepreneurs and student founders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakeland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Revenue from subsidized membership fees across Workspace (coworking, dedicated desks, private offices), Kitchen (hourly commercial kitchen access), and Makerspace (base rate plus equipment fees) incubators. As a non-profit, membership dues cover approximately half of operating budget.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Private donations and corporate sponsorships from community partners fund approximately half of operating budget. Launch Investors contribute minimum $5,000/year for micro-grant panel seat.
3. Room Rentals: Rental of meeting and event spaces to members and external parties generates operational subsidy as a non-profit. Rooms range from $30/hour (Cash Feed) to $250/hour (Assembly Room).
4. Events: Hosting of events including Launch Pitch Night and Lakeland Entrepreneur Awards generates revenue and community engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Catapult Lakeland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit business incubator that operates three specialized facilities under one roof: a Workspace incubator (coworking, dedicated desks, private offices), a Kitchen incubator (shared commercial kitchen for food-based businesses), and a Makerspace incubator (professional-grade manufacturing equipment). It supplements these with a Launch micro-grant funding program (up to $10,000), an Experts in Residence mentorship program, and rentable meeting/event spaces. The organization was founded in 2014 by the Lakeland Economic Development Council and is funded approximately half by membership dues and half by community donations and sponsorships.

Product overview

Catapult Lakeland is a nonprofit business incubator offering three distinct incubator programs under one roof: Workspace (offices, desks, coworking), Kitchen (commercial kitchen for food businesses), and Makerspace (manufacturing and engineering equipment). The organization supplements its core incubators with two programs: the Launch Micro-Grant Program providing funding up to $10,000 for asset purchases, and the Experts in Residence mentorship program connecting founders with specialized advisors across 12 fields including e-commerce, financial planning, marketing, and human resources. Additionally, Catapult offers room rentals for meetings and events through 12 distinct venue spaces. Founded in 2014 by the Lakeland Economic Development Council, the incubator operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with over $500,000 in perk value from partner platforms including Google Cloud, Microsoft, AWS, HubSpot, Canva, and Stripe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workspace Incubator A business incubator providing offices, dedicated desks, and coworking spaces for entrepreneurs to build scalable businesses, featuring amenities such as unlimited coffee, conference rooms, and 10GIG high-speed WiFi. Coworking starts at $170/month with day passes at $20.
• Kitchen Incubator A commercial kitchen facility for food-based businesses including restaurants, bakeries, and consumer packaged goods brands, offering shared equipment (mixers, prep space, cold storage, cooklines), permitting assistance, and 24/7 building access. Hourly usage pricing with $300 monthly minimum for 20 hours.
• Makerspace Incubator A makerspace facility for manufacturing and engineering companies providing professional-grade equipment including wood shop, metal shop, 3D printing, electronics, lasers, and micro-factories with technical guidance and mentorship. Base membership at $170/member plus equipment and storage fees.
• Launch Micro-Grant Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $500k in enterprise software perks provided to members through partner relationships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Google CloudcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides over $500k in cloud computing perks and credits to Catapult members through Google for Startups program, enabling startups to access enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure at steep discounts.
• MicrosoftcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides enterprise software perks and discounts to Catapult members including Azure cloud services and Microsoft 365 tools.
• HubSpotcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides major discounts on HubSpot CRM and marketing platform to Catapult members for customer relationship management and marketing automation.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides cloud computing credits and perks to Catapult members through AWS Activate program for startup infrastructure needs.
• CanvaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides design platform access at discounts for Catapult members to create marketing materials and visual content.
• StripeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides payment processing benefits and support to Catapult members for e-commerce and business transactions.
• Florida Southern College (Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpanded partnership from 10 to unlimited student members for Catapult. FSC's Seed-to-Scale program (led by Justin Heacock) grew from 30 to 420 students in 9 months. Partnership with Kanu provides entrepreneurial learning platform. Catapult receives real-time data on student ventures.
• Lakeland Economic Development Council (LEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded Catapult in 2014. LEDC established the incubator to foster startup growth after visiting entrepreneur centers around the US.
• Florida Polytechnic UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for student-driven cybersecurity center (SOC) launching October 2025. Combines Florida Poly's education with Sittadel's industry expertise. Catapult makerspace used for Florida Poly student projects including NASA challenge.
• Lakeland Regional HealthminorOthersCommunity partner supporting Catapult's mission to foster entrepreneurship in Lakeland.
• Publix Super MarketsminorOthersCommunity partner providing corporate sponsorship support.
• Polk State CollegeminorOthersEducational partner providing pathway for students. Received $2.8M Job Growth Grant for welding program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tampa Bay Wave: Florida-based startup accelerator supporting early-stage tech companies through mentorship, networking, and investor connections. Directly comparable as a regional Florida business accelerator serving founders across multiple verticals.
• Union Kitchen: Washington DC-area food business incubator offering commercial kitchen access, wholesale distribution, and retail support to food entrepreneurs. Closest direct peer to Catapult's Kitchen incubator vertical, with shared mission of supporting food CPG and restaurant founders.
• CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center): Global innovation campus operator providing multi-vertical coworking, shared labs, and accelerator programming under one roof. Compares to Catapult's three-vertical incubator model (Workspace/Kitchen/Makerspace) at scale.
• MassChallenge: Global non-profit startup accelerator providing zero-equity programming, mentorship, and corporate partnership access to early-stage founders. Comparable as a mission-driven accelerator model that relies on corporate and institutional sponsors.
• 1871 Chicago: Established Chicago-based technology and entrepreneurship hub providing coworking, mentorship, and programming for hundreds of digital startups. Comparable as a long-running nonprofit incubator with corporate sponsorship model.
• Capital Factory: Austin-based tech accelerator and coworking hub supporting early-stage startups across multiple verticals. Comparable mix of coworking, mentorship, and demo-day/pitch programming.
• The Venture Center: Arkansas-based business accelerator and innovation hub supporting entrepreneurs through mentorship, programming, and coworking. Comparable as a community-led accelerator model with similar revenue mix (memberships, sponsorships, events).

Broad incumbents

• Galvanize: Multi-city tech education and coworking platform offering bootcamps, programs, and shared workspace. Operates at broader scale than Catapult across multiple US markets with similar tech-focus.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused coworking and innovation spaces supporting mission-driven entrepreneurs. Comparable as a nonprofit-driven model promoting social and economic impact through shared workspace.
• WeWork: Largest global coworking and flexible workspace operator. Comparable as a major flexible-workspace provider, though Catapult differs as a nonprofit with vertical-specific incubators (Kitchen, Makerspace) rather than general coworking.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/catapult.lakeland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catapult-lakeland-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/catapultlkld
• Xx.com/catapultlkld

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Catapult Lakeland