Gener8tor, a top-ranked Midwest startup accelerator, is switching things up with its Milwaukee program as it aims to recruit aspiring entrepreneurs as opposed to existing startups.
The Milwaukee accelerator, which has long recruited five existing startups from around the country, is instead going to begin investing $100,000 each into five teams, made up of two to three people, to build startups from scratch.
The teams will participate in a full-time, 16-week accelerator, as opposed to the normal 12-week one. Over the course of the program, gener8tor will work with them one-on-one to identify and build a mutually agreed upon product. Startup ideas will be sourced from applicants, gener8tor’s network and the corporate members of Project North, gener8tor’s exclusive innovation network.
Gener8tor says it is looking for individuals who are coachable and creative, and have “highly refined” technical skills.
The organization said it chose to change the model in Milwaukee because although its traditional method has been effective in supporting startup growth, gener8tor hasn’t yet had the opportunity to create entrepreneurs “where they wouldn’t otherwise have existed.”
“By doing so, we hope to pioneer a new model for communities to invest in their citizens that directly encourages innovation by creating startups that wouldn’t have otherwise existed by using the existing resources in a given community,” gener8tor said in a blog post announcing the change.
The application deadline is Aug. 2.
This new accelerator model will only operate in Milwaukee. Gener8tor’s other programs, such as The Brandery, the OnRamp Insurance Accelerator and the gener8tor programs in Madison and Minnesota, will remain the same.
Milwaukee startups that have participated in gener8tor’s programs include Bright Cellars, GenoPalate and Blue Mangoes.
