A New Sales Startup Accelerator Launches in Chicago

Sales Assembly, the Chicago-based organization that helps well-funded startups refine their sales and revenue strategies, is launching a new accelerator program designed with the same mission, but instead for smaller, early-stage startups.

The 90-day accelerator program, dubbed VentureScale, is accepting applications now. It's scheduled to begin March 1, is geared toward B2B software and technology companies, and will include 10-12 companies, said Jeff Rosset, Sales Assembly's CEO and the co-founder and managing director of VentureScale.

Sales Assembly, founded in 2017, works with Chicago tech companies like G2 Crowd, Sprout Social, SpotHero and Jellyvision, and operates out of WeWork’s River North location. Though the company serves as a resource and community for the city’s tech companies, it wasn’t exactly conducive for small companies, Rosset said.

Through VentureScale, budding startups will receive in-person classroom sessions, learning lunches, mentor calls and roundtable discussions about how to enhance sale strategies and add sales professionals to their teams. Matt Green, co-founder and partner at VentureScale, said the kinds of companies they are looking for include those who have raised seed funding rounds, have anywhere between two and 20 employees, and $15,000-20,000 in monthly revenue.

“These [companies] have a good business, but it is the founder and CEO that is usually the one doing the sales,” Green said. “VentureScale is geared toward making this CEO or founder a better salesperson in general, but more importantly, it’s really to build the sales foundation.”

The accelerator is sponsored by major corporate partners like Chase Bank and Deloitte, but also by local venture capital firms, including MATH Venture Partners, Hyde Park Venture Partners and Catapult.

Accelerators serve as a way for early stage startups to get guidance and tools they need for growth, while doing so with other companies and entrepreneurs in the same position.

“The companies in VentureScale are the types of companies that are interesting for the investment community to look at, especially when you consider the fact that having gone through our program, they’re probably in a better position to grow their business in a smarter way,” Rosset said. “We really want to provide as much value as we can to the Chicago tech ecosystem. The more value we can add to early stage companies here, the better the overall ecosystem and tech community will be.”