StartupGuru
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
StartupGuru firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- StartupGuru
- Legal name
- NCrypted Technologies
- Website
- https://startupguru.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
StartupGuru industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Incubation Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Computer Training (61142)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
Keywords
Where StartupGuru is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
StartupGuru business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Incubator Program Fees: Founder invests $5K to join program; StartupGuru co-invests $15K in services via promissory note. Payment on promissory note converts only when startup raises $50K+ in external funding. Full program includes advisory, product development, user acquisition, investment guidance, legal, accounting support, one-to-one coaching, cohort sessions, and expert guest webinars.
- Shorter Bootcamp Programs: Modular programs offered separately: Validation ($1K, 1 month), Product (TBD based on scope), Launch ($1.5K, 1 month plus ads), Funding ($2K, includes investor showcase and demo day access). Allows founders to purchase specific services rather than full program.
- Partner Discounts Revenue Share: StartupGuru offers $100K+ in discounts from partner companies (Clerky, Stripe, Brex, AWS, Hubspot, Zendesk, Vouch, Dialpad, Gust, Google Cloud, Apollo). While presented as founder savings, these partnerships may include referral arrangements with partner companies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Full 16-week Incubator Program with co-investment model |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | StartupGuru Validation Bootcamp |
| Other | Multi-year contract | StartupGuru Product Bootcamp |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | StartupGuru Launch Bootcamp |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | StartupGuru Funding Bootcamp |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
StartupGuru product offering
Product offeringCore offering
StartupGuru is a remote 16-week startup incubator program exclusively for non-technical founders, operating as a branded initiative under NCrypted Technologies. It provides structured curriculum, mentorship, and a co-investment model in which founders exchange equity for incubation support, alongside modular bootcamps and venture advisory services tailored for idea- and pre-seed-stage entrepreneurs.
Product overview
StartupGuru offers a suite of startup incubation and advisory products designed for non-technical founders building tech/digital startups. The core offering is the 16-week remote StartupGuru Incubator Program, which uses a co-investing model ($5K from founder + $15K in services from StartupGuru) and follows a structured 4-stage methodology covering validation, product development (MSP), launch/traction (5/50/500 model), and funding. The program is complemented by four modular bootcamps: Validation ($1K/month), Product (TBD pricing), Launch ($1.5K/month), and Funding ($2K). Additional offerings include Venture Advisory for growth-stage companies, educational webinars and podcasts, and access to partner discounts exceeding $100K from tools like AWS, Stripe, HubSpot, and Google Cloud. The company maintains a global presence across 8 cities including Ahmedabad, Berlin, Denver, Dubai, Helsinki, London, San Francisco, and Singapore.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- StartupGuru Incubator Program A 16-week remote incubation program exclusively for non-technical founders, providing structured curriculum, mentorship, and co-investment support to help founders validate, build, launch, and fund their startups. Designed for aspiring entrepreneurs at the idea or pre-seed stage who lack coding skills.
- StartupGuru Venture Advisory Strategic venture advisory services providing founders with expert guidance on fundraising, business model design, growth strategy, and investor readiness. Targeted at early-stage startup founders seeking structured advisory support.
- StartupGuru Validation Bootcamp A modular bootcamp focused on helping non-technical founders validate their startup idea through customer discovery, market research, and problem-solution fit analysis.
- StartupGuru Product Bootcamp A modular bootcamp that guides non-technical founders through product strategy, MVP definition, and product-market fit, helping them translate validated ideas into buildable product specifications.
- StartupGuru Launch Bootcamp A modular bootcamp focused on go-to-market planning, launch execution, and early traction for founders preparing to bring their MVP or product to market.
- StartupGuru Funding Bootcamp A modular bootcamp covering fundraising preparation, pitch deck creation, investor outreach, and term sheet navigation for founders seeking pre-seed or seed capital.
Quantifiable outcome
- $100K+ in pre-seed funding for program graduates
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use StartupGuru
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
StartupGuru technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
StartupGuru partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NCrypted TechnologiescoreParent company providing technical development capabilities. StartupGuru is a separate brand/spin-off from NCrypted focused on incubation and venture advisory. NCrypted provides product development, design, and technical execution for StartupGuru program. OYO Rooms and StepOut were early NCrypted portfolio companies that led to StartupGuru creation.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
StartupGuru competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Techstars: Global accelerator network with industry-specific verticals and a $20K-for-6% standard deal. Overlaps with StartupGuru on accelerator business model and global reach, but operates with significantly more capital, brand, and mentor infrastructure.
- Y Combinator: Largest and most recognized global startup accelerator. Competes for the same pre-seed/seed founder pool StartupGuru targets but operates with much larger cohorts, a $500K standard deal, and a vastly stronger investor brand.
- 500 Global: Multi-stage venture firm and accelerator with a global footprint, especially strong in emerging markets. Overlaps with StartupGuru on founder-support programs but operates at much larger scale and invests real capital.
Direct peers
- Founder Institute: Pre-seed accelerator operating in 200+ cities with a structured 4-month program focused on validating and launching startups. Closely matches StartupGuru's pre-seed positioning, structured curriculum, and founder-enablement orientation, though FI is much larger and equity-based.
- Idealab: Long-running venture studio that builds and launches companies from internal ideas and external founders. Closely comparable to StartupGuru's company-building orientation, where the studio itself contributes product development alongside founders.
- Antler: Global remote-first pre-seed accelerator that invests in founders from day zero across 30+ countries. Most directly comparable to StartupGuru on remote delivery, founder-first focus, and global geographic reach, though Antler invests real capital where StartupGuru offers services.
Emerging players
- Pioneer: Remote-first community-driven accelerator that supports non-technical and idea-stage founders. Comparable to StartupGuru's emphasis on part-time remote participation and non-technical founder enablement, though Pioneer's model is more community/scholarship-based.
- Pioneer Square Labs: Seattle-based venture studio that co-founds startups from scratch and provides product, engineering, and design talent. Directly comparable to StartupGuru's co-build/co-invest model where the studio contributes technical execution alongside founders.
- High Alpha: Venture studio that builds B2B SaaS companies alongside founders, providing product, design, and go-to-market resources. Comparable to StartupGuru's venture-builder orientation where the firm itself contributes technical product development, though focused on enterprise SaaS.
Regional players
- Seedstars: Accelerator focused on emerging markets and under-served geographies. Comparable to StartupGuru's global south / emerging market portfolio (e.g., StepOut, Mashcor, AinoAid) and founder-development orientation, though Seedstars is regionally focused rather than fully global.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
StartupGuru social profiles
Digital presenceStartupGuru financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
StartupGuru leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
StartupGuru funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
StartupGuru M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about StartupGuru
What does StartupGuru do?
StartupGuru is a remote 16-week startup incubator program exclusively for non-technical founders, operating as a branded initiative under NCrypted Technologies. It provides structured curriculum, mentorship, and a co-investment model in which founders exchange equity for incubation support, alongside modular bootcamps and venture advisory services tailored for idea- and pre-seed-stage entrepreneurs.
Is StartupGuru a public or private company?
StartupGuru is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was StartupGuru founded?
StartupGuru was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is StartupGuru based?
StartupGuru is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does StartupGuru make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Incubator Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are shorter Bootcamp Programs and partner Discounts Revenue Share.
Who are StartupGuru's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Techstars, Y Combinator and 500 Global. Direct peers are Founder Institute, Idealab and Antler. Emerging players are Pioneer, Pioneer Square Labs and High Alpha. Seedstars is listed as a regional player.
Does StartupGuru have an API?
No public API is recorded for StartupGuru.
What industry is StartupGuru in?
StartupGuru's product category is Startup Incubation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAH, Venture Studios / Company Builders, with a secondary code of FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated). Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 7371.