StartUP Columbus

What StartUP Columbus does

StartUP Columbus is a nonprofit entrepreneur support organization headquartered at 1190 Front Avenue in Uptown Columbus, Georgia, serving founders in the Chattahoochee Valley Region. The organization operates as an integrated regional startup hub rather than a technology company, delivering its offering through a portfolio of co-located programs: CO.STARTERS Core (a 10-week in-person cohort), CO.STARTERS Sprint (a 2-week virtual accelerator), coLAB (a 4,800 sq ft incubator workspace offering flex seats, dedicated desks, and private offices), retailLAB (three below-market storefront units inside Highside Market), LaunchCon (an annual $40,000 pitch competition), and SHINE (a high school pitch competition co-presented with Muscogee County School District and Columbus State University). A 2025 AI Skills Course and a new SURE Program with 37Oaks extend the curriculum portfolio.

The business model is hybrid: subscription workspace rentals ($50–$350/month for coLAB; $94–$117/month for retailLAB), modest program fees ($150 per CO.STARTERS participant including course materials, incubator membership, and a one-year Columbus Chamber of Commerce membership), and — most importantly — grant funding from institutional partners including the Wells Fargo Foundation (coLAB), the Knight Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley (retailLAB), and the Truist Foundation (CO.STARTERS). GTM is community-led and event-driven: applications flow through the Catalyzer platform, supplemented by partner referrals, Founder's Corner blog content, Instagram, the annual LaunchCon, the high school SHINE competition, and Calendly consultations. The organization reports having supported 47 businesses to date and operates with a core team of five staff (Executive Director Ben MacMinn, Operations Manager Riz Newman, Outreach Manager Ana McGraw, and two facilitators) under a board drawn from OmegaFi, Columbus 2025, Truist, Columbus State University, W.C. Bradley Company, Charityvest, and Malone Office Environments.

The underlying technology is conventional nonprofit/web infrastructure (Squarespace website, online application forms, Calendly scheduling, Zoom for the virtual Sprint) rather than proprietary platforms. Competitive positioning rests on the bundling of workspace, education, mentorship, and pitch capital in a single regional location, anchored by deep institutional relationships with regional universities, banks, and foundations that would be costly for a new entrant to replicate.

Name

StartUP Columbus

Legal name

StartUP Columbus

Website

https://startupcolga.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

StartUP Columbus is a nonprofit entrepreneur support organization in Columbus, Georgia, providing workspace (coLAB, retailLAB), cohort-based training (CO.STARTERS), pitch competitions (LaunchCon, SHINE), and mentorship to early-stage founders and SMBs in the Chattahoochee Valley Region, funded primarily by foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubator Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSANAAAM

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated)

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Venture Capital Firms

Keywords

• Startup incubator programs
• Entrepreneur support services
• Coworking workspace rental
• Cohort entrepreneurship training
• Pitch competition events

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Incubator Membership Fees: Revenue from coLAB workspace rentals including flex space ($50/mo), dedicated desks ($150/mo), and private offices ($350/mo). Also retailLAB unit leases ($94-$117/mo based on square footage).
2. Program Fees: CO.STARTERS Core and Sprint programs charge $150 per participant, which includes course materials, incubator membership during program, and Chamber of Commerce membership for one year.
3. Grant Funding: As a nonprofit, significant funding comes from grants including Wells Fargo Foundation (coLAB), Knight Foundation Fund at Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley (retailLAB), and Truist Foundation (CO.STARTERS).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

StartUP Columbus is a nonprofit entrepreneur support organization that operates coLAB, a 4,800 sq ft workspace incubator with private offices, dedicated desks, coworking flex space, conference rooms, and a podcast/phone booth. It also operates retailLAB, a retail storefront incubator inside Highside Market offering three below-market units, alongside CO.STARTERS Core (10-week in-person cohort) and CO.STARTERS Sprint (2-week virtual) business training programs. The portfolio is rounded out by LaunchCon Columbus, an annual pitch competition awarding $40,000 in prizes, and SHINE, an annual high school entrepreneurship competition.

Product overview

StartUP Columbus is a nonprofit entrepreneur support organization offering a portfolio of programs and services. The core offerings include CO.STARTERS (Core and Sprint) - cohort-based business training programs; coLAB - a professional workspace and incubator with private offices, coworking, and meeting spaces; retailLAB - a brick-and-mortar retail incubator with three storefront spaces; LaunchCon Columbus - an annual $40,000 pitch competition; and SHINE - a high school student entrepreneurship competition. Programs are supplemented by mentorship, networking events, and community resources for founders in the Chattahoochee Valley Region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CO.STARTERS: A 10-week cohort-based program that equips entrepreneurs with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn ideas into sustainable ventures. Also offered as a virtual 2-week CO.STARTERS Sprint accelerator.
• coLAB
• retailLAB
• LaunchCon Columbus
• SHINE

Products and services

• CO.STARTERS Core 10-week in-person cohort-based business training program that equips entrepreneurs with the insights, relationships, and tools needed to turn ideas into sustainable ventures, covering customer identification, financial modeling, and pitch preparation. Costs $150 per participant and includes course materials, 1-year incubator membership, and 1-year Columbus Chamber of Commerce membership. Cohorts of 12 entrepreneurs are run with 2 facilitators.
• CO.STARTERS Sprint Accelerated 2-week virtual business training program running Monday through Friday, 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM via Zoom, designed for founders seeking a faster path to launch or pivot their business. Costs $150 for the virtual accelerated version covering 2 consecutive business weeks.
• coLAB Workspace and business incubator offering flex space ($50/month for 1 person, $20/month per additional team member), dedicated desks ($150/month for up to 3 people, $50/month per additional team member, includes a lockable file cabinet), and private offices ($350/month for up to 5 people, with a closable/lockable door). Total of 28 flex spaces, 12 dedicated desks, and 9 private offices, with high-speed internet, conference rooms, a podcast/phone booth, coffee, parking, and bundled access to networking events and business support.
• retailLAB Retail-focused incubator inside Highside Market offering three below-market rate storefront units for retail entrepreneurs, makers, and creators. Lab 1 (112.6 sq ft corner bay near the entrance) rents for $94/month, Lab 2 (132.9 sq ft central space) rents for $111/month, and Lab 3 (140.5 sq ft largest unit) rents for $117/month, each with turnkey space, high-speed internet, and shared mentorship access.
• LaunchCon Columbus The largest pitch competition in Columbus, Georgia, awarding $40,000 in total prizes through a shark-tank style live event open to the public. Entrepreneurs apply through a multi-round process with applications typically opening in July and August and final pitches held in November.
• SHINE Competition Supporting Highly Innovative and New Entrepreneurs (SHINE) is an annual pitch competition for high school students in the Muscogee County School District. It includes multiple workshops, 1-on-1 mentoring, and seed money distribution to help students develop and pitch innovative business ideas.
• AI Skills Course Technology-focused skills course launched by StartUP Columbus in 2025 to help entrepreneurs learn applied technology capabilities. Delivered as a cohort-based offering with the initial cohort already completed and additional technology programming planned for 2026.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FINSYNCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20252025 LaunchCon sponsor. CO.STARTERS curriculum is powered by FINSYNC.
• COI Center of InnovationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20252025 LaunchCon sponsor supporting the pitch competition.
• W.C. Bradley CompanyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Founding sponsor of StartUP Columbus and 2025 LaunchCon sponsor. Local company providing ongoing support.
• Bridgepath CFO SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20252025 LaunchCon sponsor. Graduate of StartUP Columbus programming.
• TruistminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20252025 LaunchCon sponsor. Also provides Truist Foundation funding for CO.STARTERS program.
• RiceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20252025 LaunchCon sponsor supporting entrepreneurship ecosystem.
• CAN (Columbus Area Normalizers)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20252025 LaunchCon sponsor supporting local entrepreneurship.
• HG (Holiday Green?)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20252025 LaunchCon sponsor.
• AnkerpakminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20252025 LaunchCon sponsor supporting the competition.
• Muscogee County School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of SHINE entrepreneurship pitch competition for high school students. Partners with StartUP Columbus and Columbus State University to foster entrepreneurial spirit in local youth.
• D. Abbott Turner College of Business and Technology at Columbus State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of SHINE competition along with Muscogee County School District. Academic partner supporting entrepreneurship education in the region.
• Highside MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost location for retailLAB incubator. Provides physical space inside the market for three retail storefront units at below-market rates for entrepreneurs.
• CO.STARTERS NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartUP Columbus is part of the CO.STARTERS network. They use the CO.STARTERS Core curriculum from FINSYNC for their entrepreneurship training programs.
• Columbus Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCO.STARTERS graduates receive complimentary 1-year membership to Columbus Chamber of Commerce as part of program perks.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The Venture Center: The Venture Center is a Little Rock, Arkansas-based nonprofit startup accelerator and incubator running cohort programs and capital-access initiatives. It is comparable to StartUP Columbus as a regional nonprofit accelerator in the US South/Mid-South, though focused on a different geography and a more fintech-oriented portfolio.

Direct peers

• Venture For America: Venture For America is a nonprofit fellowship program that places entrepreneurs in early-stage startups in emerging US cities and provides training and community. It is comparable to StartUP Columbus as a mission-driven, US-based nonprofit supporting founders in smaller/emerging markets through structured programming and community.
• Opportunity Hub: Opportunity Hub is a minority-led startup ecosystem platform running accelerators, pitch competitions, and founder community programs. It is comparable to StartUP Columbus as a community-led accelerator/incubator operating in the US Southeast with pitch competitions and structured cohort programming.
• CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center): CIC operates innovation campuses combining coworking, private offices, and event/mentorship programming in multiple cities. It is comparable to StartUP Columbus as a coworking-plus-programming hybrid operator, though CIC is significantly larger and for-profit.
• 1871: 1871 is a Chicago-based nonprofit technology hub and incubator offering coworking space, programming, mentorship, and corporate partnerships. It is directly comparable to StartUP Columbus as a regional nonprofit combining physical workspace with structured entrepreneur programming and a strong corporate/community partner network.
• gener8tor: gener8tor operates accelerator programs and has a national footprint of cohort-based founder programs with concierge mentorship. It is comparable to StartUP Columbus because both run structured, cohort-based entrepreneur support programs, though gener8tor is for-profit and operates in multiple cities while StartUP Columbus is nonprofit and regional.
• MassChallenge: MassChallenge is a global nonprofit accelerator that supports early-stage entrepreneurs through cohort programs, mentorship, and access to capital. It is comparable to StartUP Columbus because both are nonprofit, cohort-driven entrepreneur support organizations combining workspace/curriculum with pitch competitions and partner networks.
• CO.STARTERS (Network): CO.STARTERS is the nationwide network of facilitators that licenses the 10-week Core and 2-week Sprint entrepreneur curricula. StartUP Columbus is itself a CO.STARTERS licensee running these programs locally, making every other CO.STARTERS host city a direct comparator for cohort throughput, pricing, and outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Techstars is one of the largest global accelerator operators running cohort-based, mentorship-driven programs in multiple cities. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in the accelerator/incubator category where StartUP Columbus operates, though Techstars is significantly larger, for-profit, and equity-backed.
• Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the most prominent startup accelerator globally, running cohort-based programs culminating in a Demo Day pitch event with investor capital. It is comparable to StartUP Columbus as a broad incumbent that combines cohort programming, pitch competitions, and a curated founder community — though at vastly greater scale and stage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/startupcolga
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startup-columbus
• Xx.com/startupcolga
• Facebookfacebook.com/startupcolga

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 StartUP Columbus