The i2i Accelerator is a four-month program that runs every Fall in Pakistan. Over the course of four months, selected entrepreneurs receive access to intensive business support to grow their businesses, and convene for six inperson weekends in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore (and a fun retreat up in Murree!), with targeted sessions led by the i2i team and mentors on topics ranging from branding to customer acquisition to financials and operations. At the end of the program, entrepreneurs pitch before investors at our annual Demo Day and are connected to other angel investors.
What startups get as part of the i2i Accelerator:
- Intensive business support: The i2i curriculum is proven to get results (on average, our companies experience 200% revenue growth with our program), and is designed to help your business gain traction & become more investment ready.
- Virtual CFO: A dedicated resource will provide advice on accounting processes and create financial dashboards to help your business.
- Dedicated Fellow/Intern in your home city: i2i’s flagship Startup Fellows program gives you a dedicated intern during the course of the accelerator program, which will help you in executing on your business.
- 5 Minute Marketing Video: All i2i startups get a professionally made marketing video that they can use for promotion and visibility! You can see our companies’ past videos here.
- Dedicated Mentor for each startup: Dedicated mentors are available to startups for monthly check ins and advice.
- Access to the i2i Investor Network through our program and Investor Showcase: 23 investors attended our 2016/17 showcase!
- Access to 45 experts and mentors over the course of the program: Our mentors are some of Pakistan’s top entrepreneurs and industry experts, and dedicate their time and experience to giving feedback and support on your business.
- Access to the local startup community in 3 different cities: We take our startups to Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad to help build new networks and partnerships, and access the local ecosystems in these cities.
- An opportunity to get investment from the i2i Investment Fund: i2i is in the midst of launching our first VC fund, and our Accelerator will act as a major pipeline for our future portfolio of investments.
Statistics from our Past Accelerators
i2i has thus far run 5 Accelerator Cycles, graduating a total of 25 startups. Of these, 15 startups are operational to date (60%). Our selection rate is currently approximately 2.5% (approximately 200 applications per cycle, for 5 spots). The total number of women founded or co-founded startups accelerated by i2i are 11, (44%).
- Total amount of funding (investment and grants) raised by all i2i companies: USD $3.75 Million
- Total amount of Investment raised by women led i2i companies : USD 20 Million (85.65% of total funding raised by i2i companies was raised by our women led startups!)
- Over 1000 jobs created by i2i startups