Build faster. Fundraise sooner.
Building a startup is full of uncertainty. The faster you validate what matters, the faster you gain traction, raise capital and build a company that lasts.
WHY FOUNDERS JOIN
Traction starts with evidence.
The best startups don’t grow because they build more. They grow because they learn faster. Our 12-week program for B2B tech startups helps you turn assumptions into evidence and evidence into traction.
What you’ll achieve::
60%
raised funding within 6 months
3x
outperforming pre-seed averages
100+
active startups in our community
50M+
raised annually by our alumni
300+
Curated industry contacts
WHY IT’S DIFFERENT
We don’t teach entrepreneurship. We help founders build companies.
Everything we do is designed to help you reach product-market fit and your first funding round faster. As a foundation, our only goal is to help ambitious tech founders build companies that succeed.
LIKEMINDED FOUNDERS
The people around you will shape your company as much as your product.
As a program participant, you gain exclusive access to one of the most active networks of tech entrepreneurs in Switzerland with 100+ ambitious tech founders.
WHAT YOU WILL GET
Access to people who have done it before. Not generic startup education.
Work with founders and investors
Direct, personal access to people who’ve built and scaled companies before. They help you:
– Refine your strategy– Improve your go-to-market
– Validate key assumptions
– Prepare for fundraising
Join a community of ambitious founders
Building a startup can be lonely. Connect with founders from companies including Decentriq, Ledgy, Mimic, Calvin Risk, Synthara and more.
– Share challenges & learnings– Build lasting relationships
– Stay connected beyond the program
Open doors that are difficult to access
Gain curated introductions through Bluelion’s network of 300+ carefully selected contacts:
– Customers– Industry experts
– Partners
– Investors
Work with founders and investors.
Join a community of ambitious founders.
Open doors that are difficult to access.
FEEDBACKS FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS
Hear from those who have been there before.
Our programs and activities offer direct access to serial founders, who bring invaluable insights from their own entrepreneurial successes and challenges. Benefit from their tried-and-true strategies, as they guide you through the intricacies of building and scaling your startup.
“Joining Bluelion has been a game-changer for Kuafu. The program provided us with incredibly valuable access to top-tier mentors and industry experts.”
“Thanks to Bluelion, we significantly expanded our network, walked away with new connections, ideas, and momentum, and also gained a lot of learning.”
“The program brought in likeminded peers and sharp experts who helped us rethink and refine our GTM strategy, product story, fundraising and more. ”
WHAT IT TAKES
We back founders who learn fast.
We don’t select the startups with the best ideas. We select the founders most likely to turn ideas into successful companies.
Application Criteria
PROGRAM IN A NUTSHELL
How you will progress in 12 weeks
Frameworks are easy to find. Accountability, the right people, and structured pressure to do the uncomfortable work: that is harder. That is what the 12 weeks are for. We keep batches small intentionally: no more than 10 startups, so every founder gets real attention, not a seat in a lecture hall.
Expert Sessions
7 full-day masterclasses
Networking
additional events: kickoff, off-site, investor roundtable and closing
Mentoring
with experienced founders from the Bluelion
community.
Regular peer check-ins
Structured touchpoints with your batch keep momentum high and avoidance low throughout the twelve weeks.
Coaching and accountability
Individual coaching sessions at key moments in the program, plus on-demand support when you need it
Investor Roundtable
Pitch to a curated room of angels and VCs who are actively looking to invest at pre-seed
APPLY NOW FOR THE NEXT BATCH!
QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked.
You’re in the right place if you have at least two fully committed co-founders with the skills and domain knowledge to execute, and you’re building a scalable, innovative tech product for a B2B market. You’ve already taken the first steps to validate your idea: proof of technology and/or early market validation like LOIs or pilot projects. And you’re planning to close your first external financing round within the next 12 months.
Here you can find a highlevel program outline.
The Bluelion Acceleration Program is not just another startup school but is a program “from entrepreneurs to entrepreneurs”. For every training day, we therefore have seasoned entrepreneurs joining us and sharing their knowledge.
The program is free of charge for the participants and is financed by our partners. There is also no need to relinquish a stake in the company. In return, we require full commitment from the participants for the entire duration of the program.
All events take place on-site in Zurich.
The acceleration program is conducted twice a year, in spring and fall. The spring batch is expected to take place between calendar weeks 15 – 24 and the fall batch between calendar weeks 39 – 48. For detailed times for the next batch, see the dates below.
If accepted into the program, we expect one co-founder to be present at 80% of all acceleration days (one day per week), with the Kickoff and the Demo Day being mandatory for all participants. Furthermore, we expect you to meet the specified deadlines and demonstrate full commitment to the program. We reserve the right to exclude participants who fail to meet our expectations from the program.
Yes, they can! Acceptance to our program doesn’t count for you as an individual, but your whole startup. You can freely decide who of your team is going to attend which training day (just make sure that for 80% of the training days, at least one co-founder is present).
While it is possible to complete the program alongside a regular job, we do not recommend it. The program includes a training day that takes place weekly for 10 weeks (kickoff and Demo Day inclusive). Although you only have to be present on these training days, you will benefit most from the program if you can work on your startup every day.
After the submission deadline, we will review all applications and conduct a pre-selection based on the above requirements. We will then contact the shortlisted candidates directly to arrange a 30-minute interview to get to know you better and learn more about your business idea. After these interviews, we will make the final decision.
We are focussing on startups and co-founders based in Switzerland. You can still apply if your startup is not incorporated in Switzerland, but there has to be a strong connection to Switzerland (e.g. Swiss co-founders, targeting the Swiss market, etc.)
If you still have open questions, feel free to reach out to Maren ([email protected])