Impact Shakers
Accelerator

A 6-month tailored accelerator for underrepresented founders in Europe to scale their impact startup.

Our offer

Founder Centric

We fund people. Besides a €150.000 equity investment, we back your growth and wellbeing. We design your personal and business development path together. Our request-based programme shapes itself around your needs.

(Un)Fair advantage

We'll expose the ins and outs of how Venture Capital works, and how to make it work for you. We're radically transparent, also in what we cannot do. We intend to give you the (un)fair, advantage you never had.

Systemic doers

We've directly coached 500+ startups and catalysed €20M in capital. Creating systemic impact isn't chasing rainbows. We found there is method to the madness.
Our Impact Scaling Method enables you to take 6 massive leaps, including systems to grow.

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Lisa
Tazaar

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 impact investment ecosystem.

Because we are convinced that we need financing to follow personal and company development in order to change the narrative and level the playing field we created our own microfund and we will invest 25k in your business.

Building a successful business is hard, you should be doing everything at the same time while taking care of yourself and your team. Let us help you to grow and succeed in your mission to make a positive impact

on people and the planet.

Scale Your Impact

Our Approach

Inclusive
Business Building

Our founders represent all intersections.. We work with teams that are diverse in gender, ethnic background, migration background, are differently abled, and LGBTQIA+. Our lens on inclusivity also spans wider than the team. We take into account suppliers up and down the value chain, as well as a ethical design of offerings.

Embedding Impact

From setting impact KPIs over measuring impact, into stroytelling, we help you build your impact strategy & roadmap.

Together with you we pioneer embedding impact into all businesses.

Our comfort zone is relentlessly pushing the envelope on embedding impact. Creating systemic impact isn't chasing rainbows. We know you're not crazy, you're a visionary. We help you articulate and measure impact.

Wellbeing & Care

We deeply value founder wellbeing. As one of the main, yet ignored startup risks, it's embedded in our contracts as well as our hearts. Our coaching and programme are setup to unlock your potential to the fullest - with the room to breathe.

The Programme

Retreat

- Valorization strategy sprint: Fundraising and Impact. Based on potential exit & impact scenarios, defining your north star metric.

- Group inner work and peer review groundwork with your cohort.

- Show & Tell: Venture Capital and startup scaling ins and outs.

Development Plan

We'll consolidate your personal and business development plan to articulate your personalized program.

We'll also review your validation plan, by articulating key assumptions, learnings and experiments. We'll checkin monthly to refine your plan through the sprints.

Guided Deep Work

Execution matters. In these optional guided sessions, we'll do the work in a facilitated, focused way. These include workshops where we work on the same thing and focus moments where we each work on our own priorities, together.

Method Curriculum

Our Impact Scaling Method comprises of 6 phases, which we'll tackle in sprints. Valorization Strategy, Fundraising, Go-to-Market & Validation, Product, Finance & Ops, Team & Wellbeing. Deploy the methods and tools to grow.

1:1 Coaching

Our leadership coach will personally coach you to achieve your wildest dreams. You'll get personal guidance to develop good personal and even nutritional habits. You'll have the (optional) tools for optimal wellbeing within reach.

Expert Interventions

Based on the need of our cohorts, we host nine expert interventions.

These include informal Show&Tells from successful and failed impact founders, HowTo's from three of our most relevant domain or industry experts, and additionally requested specialty training.

Investor Event

An in-person event with a curated list of Impact investors from the Impact Shakers ecosystem, and from your newly curated investor database.

This is also coupled to a closing mini-retreat, as it provides us a chance to look back at the main investor: the founders. The cohort will come together again to be completely investor ready. We'll review (and celebrate!) progress, refine valorisation plans, and define next steps with our ongoing Fund guidance.

Timing

We accept applications on a rolling basis, even before the deadline of December 24th 2023.

There are only 7 seats available, so apply now!

Applications Open

22 November

Applications Close

22 December

Interviews

Until 31 January

Selection
& Signing

18 February

Kick off - Retreat

18 - 22 March

Our Track Record

We helped startups raise over €20 million and made 9 investments ourselves

We supported 500 impact startups directly through 30 programmes

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Humara

How we work

Requirements

Startups need to be headquartered in the European Union or the UK.

You need to be able to travel for the opening and closing (mini-)retreats, but if you aren't we are open to accommodate your needs. The majority of the programme is virtual.

The programme costs €40K which comes out of our €150K equity investment (standard practice).

Who we designed it for

We designed the programme for for-profit, impact-centric ventures led by underrepresented founders.

Founders should count on 1-2 days a week engagement during 6 months.

Ideally, your venture is considered early-stage (pre-seed and seed). You have a thorough understanding of a validated problem, as well as a prototype to solve it and first customers. You are looking to scale, and are ideally ready for equity funding.

Living, Scaling Structures

With 30+ experience in acceleration, we know scaling startups is part science, part art.

Our method and systems are the core structure of our programme, and your future operational stack.

We strive to use your time as effectively as possible, and tailored to your needs. We strive to create the freedom to optimise for lived, rather than designed experience.

Our Service Partners

FAQ

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 2025. *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.
Do I have to have a legal entity?

Preferably yes, but it could also be registered by March 2025.
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. We negotiate a valuation per company.
How many companies will you accept?

We will accept maximum 8 companies in this cohort.
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.
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.
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.
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. Our main support pillars are Founder's Wellbeing & Impact.
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.
Can I change my application after submission?

If you believe the new information is crucial, feel free to email us at hello@impactshakers.com.
Which HQ countries can participate?

All countries on the continent Europe (including the UK).
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.

Impact Shakers Accelerator