Impact Shakers
Accelerator
A 6-month tailored accelerator for underrepresented founders in Europe to scale their impact startup.
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Call Closed, will open again Fall 2024
Scale Your Impact
The Impact Shakers Accelerator is the heart of our Impact Shakers Ecosystem. It is where we work directly with exceptional founder teams and connect them to our own impact investment vehicles, as well as to our partner ecosystem.
Because we are serious about driving systemic change, we will invest €150k in capital and support in your business as part of this programme. We are committed to giving you everything you need as a founder to scale your business AND your impact.
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Building a successful business is hard and we know that you have a lot on your plate. That is why we make sure that our programme works for you, regardless of the stage you are at and the challenges you are facing. Let us help you grow and succeed in your mission to make a positive impact on people and the planet!
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"I had never met investors who not only truly “got” impact, but were as genuinely committed to it as the Impact Shakers team. From the terms in our formal agreements to the conversations, it’s just so refreshing to have investors who are challenging you to grow a business, but even more so, to grow your impact to the best and biggest it can be."
Kimberley Abbott
Founder & CEO Vested Impact
Our offer
Founder Centric
We fund people.
In addition to investing €150.000 in equity & support, we back your growth and wellbeing. We design your personal and business development path together. Our programme shapes itself around your needs.
Our Impact Ecosystem
We have built a leading impact ecosystem over the past years and invite you to join and benefit from the support 200+ partners can give you.
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We work with you to make sure you find a scaling and fundraising strategy that works for you and find the experts and impact investors that match your strategy.
Hands on Support
We become part of your team.
We've directly coached 500+ startups and catalysed €20M in capital. We know that creating systemic impact isn't chasing rainbows and found there is method to the madness.
Our Impact Scaling Method is built on the lean startup methodology and incorporates inclusion, impact and wellbeing as core values.
Our Approach
Inclusive
Business Building
We take an intersectional approach and work with teams that are diverse in gender, ethnic background, migration background, are differently abled, and LGBTQIA+.
Our lens on inclusion also spans wider than the team. We help you look at your entire value chain, from suppliers to customers to partners and help you design impactful offerings from start to finish.
Embedded Impact
From setting impact KPIs to measuring impact and stroytelling, we help you build your impact strategy & roadmap.
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Our comfort zone is to relentlessly push the envelope on impact - and we know yours is too.
Together with you, we pioneer embedding impact as a way of doing business and provide you with professional coaching for you to become the impact leader you want to
Wellbeing & Care
We understand that your health and wellbeing as a founder is critical to the success of your business.
We deeply care about you and embed safeguards for your wellbeing into our contracts and our ways of working. Our coaching and programme are setup to unlock your potential to the fullest - with the room to breathe.
The Programme
We combine what we know works for startups
And add what is needed for maximum impact
Who we work with
Scalable impact solutions
Exceptional diverse founders
Pre-Seed/Seed Stage
Raised less than €2M
HQ in Europe (incl UK)
Climate Tech
Impact Infrastructure
Inclusion Tech
Their candid perspective as an investor and pragmatic guidance have greatly accelerated our understanding and progress toward achieving our fundraising goals for early next year.
Lisa Stafford
Chief Executive Officer @ TAZAAR
What we care about
Founder Focused
We invest in people. Your business will still change a lot and we invest in those that have the resilience and strength to steer it and their team into the future.
Problems & Markets
We love learning about the problem you want to solve and the market and your place in it. Teach us something new and we'll be the happiest and most curious kids in class.
Impact
Understand the impact you want to make. You don't have to have a shiny impact model yet, we'll build one together and help you keep your mission in focus.
Care about Your Users
If you understand and care about the real pain points of your users and can offer them a solution, you're well on your way to building a successful business.
Timing
Applications Open
22 November
Applications Close
22 December
​Interviews
Until 31 January
Selection & Signing
April
Kick off
May
We accept applications on a rolling basis, even before the deadline of 22 December 2023.
There are only 6 seats available, so apply now!
Our Partners
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FAQ
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When will you open applications again?We will open applications again in the Fall of 2024. In the meantime, if you believe you will be an amazing match for the next group of startups, please get onto our radar by submitting your details HERE.
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Who should apply?Any early or growth stage for-profit company registered in Europe (including the UK), that has a social and/or ecological impact with at least one underrepresented* founder with significant shareholdership. The startups should ideally be ready for a pre-seed/seed investment round by March 2024. *An underrepresented founder has a broad definition to reflect and acknowledge the many dimensions in which our founders have had to beat the odds. This includes women, people of colour, differently-abled people, people with a migration background, members of the LGBTQAI+ community.
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Do I have to have a legal entity?Preferably yes, but it could also be registered by the starting date of the accelerator, March 18th 2024.
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Do you take equity?Yes, the investment will be made in exchange for equity. However, we appreciate that your business might be at a very early stage and so we prefer to invest via a SAFE note.
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​​How many companies will you accept?We will accept maximum 6 companies in this cohort.
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What if I'm building a non-profit?In this programme, we're focusing on businesses that have or will take a for-profit legal form. If yours is non-profit, please drop us a line, we're looking to do a cohort of one of our other programmes with non-profits and will keep you posted!
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How much will you invest?We will invest €150.000 in a SAFE type convertible note at the start of the programme. We will provide the candidates with all details and help you understand the nitty gritty of our note as well as support you to find co-investors for this round if desired. We ask for a fixed fee of €40.000 (excl VAT) for the support we offer. We chose the model of a fixed fee over a fixed percentage of equity because we believe it's a fairer model and allows for startups with a range of valuations to accept the investment without having to worry about future implications.
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How do you select participants? What are the selection criteria?The choice of projects is made through a rigorous selection and validation process, involving the Impact Shakers team as well as external experts. We added four main pillars we’ll select on: Founder team, Problem & Market, Impact & User focus.
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When and how will we participate? How is the programme structured?We provide extensive support during 6 months consisting of masterclasses, coaching, expert connections, deep fundraising & market research support. Consider us your extended team. Please put the dates of the retreat in your calendar already (March 18 to 22), we count on full participation for this in person part of the programme.
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When will I hear back?If you pass to the next round, we will get in touch with you for an interview. Please submit ASAP. We want to get to know you better before we agree to work together for years to come. Submitting early is definitely a good idea! We will notify all applicants before the start of the accelerator.
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Can I change my application after submission?If you believe the new information is crucial, feel free to email us at hello@impactshakers.com.
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Which HQ countries can participate?All countries on the continent Europe (including the UK).
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This page will be regularly updated.Keep an eye on it. Any other questions you need answered before applying, email us at hello@impactshakers.com.