Five One Labs
Five One Labs is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit startup incubator founded in 2016 that runs multi-month incubation, pre-incubation, and fellowship programs plus coworking spaces for refugee, migrant, women, and conflict-affected entrepreneurs across Iraq, Colombia, and the United States, funded by grants and donations without taking equity.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersVillanova, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Five One Labs does
Five One Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit startup incubator founded in 2016 by Alice Bosley and Patricia Letayf and headquartered (mailing address) in Cary, North Carolina. The organization supports resilient entrepreneurs from conflict-affected, refugee, migrant, and women-led communities through a portfolio of programs that includes a three-month Incubator Program, a two-week Ignite pre-incubator, a Female Founders Fellowship, an Academic Incubator delivered with university partners, a Feed Your Mind workshop series, and the newer Business Bloom program for immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs in the United States. Services are delivered through physical offices and coworking spaces (The Lab: Erbil, The Lab: Suli) in five Iraqi governorates (Erbil, Sulaimani, Duhok, Baghdad, Basra), in Barranquilla, Colombia, and in Raleigh, North Carolina. Five One Labs does not build proprietary technology; its competitive offer is a hands-on, mentorship-led curriculum combined with community, coworking access, and grant-based seed funding (Five One Invest) — disbursed without equity — typically to the top three startups in each cohort.
The business model is grant- and donation-funded. Five One Labs is registered as a US 501(c)(3) (Tax ID 82-1623382) and holds Candid's Gold Seal of Transparency. Revenue is sourced from foundations, multilateral institutions (USAID, World Bank Group PS4R), corporate partners (Truist Foundation, DHL, Zain Group, Flat6Labs), and individual donors; programs are free to entrepreneurs. Since 2017 the organization has run 11 incubator cohorts, supported more than 500 startups in intensive programs and 1,000+ entrepreneurs overall, and awarded over $830,000 in seed grants. Its strategic positioning — serving refugees, migrants, and women in Iraq, Colombia, and the US — anchors fundraising around development finance and inclusive-entrepreneurship mandates rather than commercial revenue, which both constrains scale relative to for-profit accelerators and secures access to institutional capital not available to equity-taking competitors.
Five One Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Five One Labs
- Legal name
- Five One Labs Inc.
- Website
- https://fiveonelabs.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Five One Labs is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit startup incubator founded in 2016 that runs multi-month incubation, pre-incubation, and fellowship programs plus coworking spaces for refugee, migrant, women, and conflict-affected entrepreneurs across Iraq, Colombia, and the United States, funded by grants and donations without taking equity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Five One Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Incubation Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)
Keywords
Where Five One Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Villanova
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Five One Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Five One Labs operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in the United States. The organization raises funds through donations and grants from foundations, government agencies, and corporate partners to fund its incubator programs and provide seed funding to entrepreneurs. The tax identification number is 82-1623382.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Free incubator programs with seed funding awards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Five One Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Five One Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit startup incubator that delivers hands-on training, mentorship, and grant-based seed funding to entrepreneurs from diverse and conflict-affected communities. It operates multi-month incubator and pre-incubator programs, specialized fellowships (Female Founders Fellowship, Business Bloom), coworking infrastructure, and grant-funded seed awards across Iraq, Colombia, and the United States, charging no fees and taking no equity.
Product overview
Five One Labs is a global nonprofit startup incubator that operates a multi-product portfolio supporting entrepreneurs, particularly from conflict-affected and diverse communities. The core offering consists of the Incubator Program (3-month intensive incubation), Ignite Pre-Incubator (2-week pre-incubation), and Female Founders Fellowship, complemented by the Feed Your Mind workshop series and the Business Bloom program for immigrant/refugee entrepreneurs. The organization provides physical infrastructure through The Labs coworking spaces, investment services via Five One Invest (granting seed funding to top performers), and publishes research through Five One Review and other publications. Programs operate across Iraq, Colombia, and the United States, targeting entrepreneurs at various stages from ideation through growth.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Five One Invest: Initiative providing services to investors and entrepreneurs to increase access to capital and raise awareness of investment in the region.
- Ignite
- Feed Your Mind Series
Products and services
- Incubator Program A three-month intensive startup incubation program that provides hands-on training, mentorship, and the opportunity to compete for grant-based seed funding awards. Designed for entrepreneurs from conflict-affected and diverse communities in Iraq, Colombia, and the US to develop and launch scalable businesses.
- Ignite Pre-Incubator Program A two-week pre-incubator program that prepares early-stage entrepreneurs to evaluate whether they have a winning business idea, serving as a precursor to the full Incubator Program for aspiring founders who are not yet ready to launch.
- Female Founders Fellowship A program specifically designed for women entrepreneurs in Iraq, providing specialized support, training, and mentorship to overcome obstacles in building and scaling their businesses. Has channeled 61% of seed funding awards to women.
- Business Bloom A six-week entrepreneurship program for immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs in Wake County, North Carolina, providing practical training, mentorship, business registration guidance, and networking opportunities to help launch and formalize small businesses.
- Academic Incubator University-based entrepreneurship programs conducted in partnership with educational institutions, including the American University of Kurdistan (AUK), to support student entrepreneurs and develop startup ideas within academic settings.
- Feed Your Mind Series An educational workshop series covering diverse topics including fintech, copywriting, business mindset, digital marketing, market validation, and green skills, designed to provide ongoing learning opportunities for entrepreneurs.
- The Labs Coworking Spaces Physical coworking spaces (The Lab: Erbil on Ankawa Road next to Qatar Airways, Vanya Home Building - Second floor; and The Lab: Suli on Salim St. across from Faruk Group Holding) providing entrepreneurs workspace, community events, and ecosystem networking access.
- Five One Invest An investment initiative providing grant-based seed funding to top startups in incubator programs and services connecting investors with entrepreneurs, with $830,000+ in seed funding awarded since 2017 without taking equity in any supported business.
- Colombia Incubator Program (Barranquilla) Country-specific incubator program launched in Barranquilla, Colombia in 2022 to serve local and migrant (especially Venezuelan) entrepreneurs, with cohorts focused on startup development, mentorship, and seed funding competitions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 130 startups completed incubator program
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Five One Labs
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Five One Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Five One Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- City of RaleighcoreFive One Labs received a grant from Truist Foundation to partner with the City of Raleigh in supporting immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs. The six-week Business Bloom program provides practical training, advisory support, and mentoring to help entrepreneurs launch and formalize small businesses in Wake County, North Carolina.
- World Bank Group (PS4R)coreFive One Labs partnered with the World Bank Group's Private Sector for Refugees (PS4R) initiative to deliver business development services, B2B linkages, capacity building, policy advocacy, and job matching. The program aims to expand the network of 100 impressive businesses across Iraq, focusing on forcibly displaced populations and MSMEs.
- Zain GroupminorPartnership with Zain Group for the Green Skills Session, hosting Rana Mufeed for a session on green skills and environmental sustainability for entrepreneurs.
- DHLminorStrategic alliance between DHL and Five One Labs to expand entrepreneurs' reach globally. The partnership provides businesses across Iraq access to effective and dependable international shipping options, enabling companies to explore global marketplace platforms like Amazon and Shopify.
- First Iraqi BankminorFirst Iraqi Bank sponsored the Feed Your Mind Series workshop on Unlocking Digital Marketing Success in Duhok.
- Flat6LabscoreFive One Labs and Flat6Labs partnered to support entrepreneurship and innovation in Iraq through the StartMashreq program. The cooperation covers entrepreneurship workshops, public events, and educational courses. The two parties will co-implement up to ten StartMashreq events throughout Iraq, supporting the Iraqi entrepreneurship community with overlapping priorities.
- ElryanminorPartnership with Elryan, the leading online retailer in Iraq, for the Summer Entrepreneurship Festival. The collaboration produced speaker series, startup bootcamps, and virtual and in-person programming to highlight existing startups and develop entrepreneurs' skills, targeting 150 participants.
- American University of Kurdistan (AUK)coreFive One Labs and AUK partnered to host long-term programs for students and entrepreneurs in Duhok. The partnership includes the Ignite pre-incubator program and the Academic Incubator, bringing innovative young community members closer to starting their own businesses.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Five One Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Five One Labs social profiles
Digital presenceFive One Labs compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Five One Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Five One Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Five One Labs subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Five One Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Five One Labs 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 Five One Labs
What does Five One Labs do?
Five One Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit startup incubator that delivers hands-on training, mentorship, and grant-based seed funding to entrepreneurs from diverse and conflict-affected communities. It operates multi-month incubator and pre-incubator programs, specialized fellowships (Female Founders Fellowship, Business Bloom), coworking infrastructure, and grant-funded seed awards across Iraq, Colombia, and the United States, charging no fees and taking no equity.
Is Five One Labs a public or private company?
Five One Labs is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Five One Labs founded?
Five One Labs was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Five One Labs based?
Five One Labs is headquartered in Villanova, United States, in the North America region.
How does Five One Labs make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Grants.
Does Five One Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Five One Labs.
What industry is Five One Labs in?
Five One Labs's product category is Startup Incubation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAA, Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics, with a secondary code of EDAMAHAC, Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators. Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8200.