Pittsburgh-based Innovation Works, an active early-stage investor, recently developed a new core curriculum for its AlphaLab accelerator.
AlphaLab helps startups find customers, capital, and community. It offers six-month programs in the software, hardware, robotics, and life sciences sectors.
The programs, under the old curriculum, operated independently and with different curricula. They now will be offered as tracks.
The unified curriculum will provide market-facing skills and hands-on practice with fundraising and the impact of financing on capital structure and outcomes. It offers an on-site cohort experience.
The new curriculum is designed to better reflect the needs of entrepreneurs and is the result of extensive research with alumni founders.
“AlphaLab is forging new ground with a distinctive model that puts founders first,” Ven Raju, Innovation Works president and CEO, said. “We are deeply committed to supporting founders in a holistic manner with a foundational curriculum, domain-specific expertise, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and access to expansive networks. Our overriding objective is to help ensure the success of our founders and their companies by providing a world-class accelerator experience in one of the top tech hubs in the country.”
Innovation Works is part of the Ben Franklin Technology Partners network. It has invested in more than 760 companies since its founding, and its portfolio companies have generated and retained more 20,000 Pennsylvania jobs.