Stages:

• Early
• Seed

 

Industries:

Information Technology

Media & Digital Media

Software & Internet

 

Description:

Founded in 2008, Tampa Bay WaVE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting ~150 different local technology ventures. Thanks to a $1 million grant awarded by the U.S. Dept of Commerce in 2012, WaVE operates a 16,000 sq/ft incubator and coworking space, as well as a business accelerator program that provides professional mentoring, education and other resources to local tech startups. The FirstWaVE Accelerator is a business accelerator program focused on early stage technology startups. The program provides local entrepreneurs and their tech ventures with facilitated access to the resources, education, expertise, talent and capital they need to create innovation-based companies that will be the foundation for economic growth in the Tampa Bay region. The FirstWaVE Accelerator program is modeled after a BUILD-LAUNCH-GROW framework, where FirstWaVE matches entrepreneurs to the resources they need when they need them. FirstWaVE accepts companies into the program at any stage with the goal of helping the companies progress to the next stage within 6 to 12 months. Participants receive access to the FirstWaVE Investor Network, and invitations to closed door business pitches with investors.