Intel Ignite is Intel’s deep tech startup accelerator program. Through a competitive selection process, we choose 10 startups to participate in our 12-week programs, which are held twice a year in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Israel.
Co-Founder-as-a-Service
We co-create the future of technology with our founders. We operate on a co-founder-as-a-service model during the 12-week program – all our managing directors are serial entrepreneurs themselves and many of our employees have experience working in startups as well.
So, what else makes us unique and different from other corporate startup accelerator programs? We offer a bespoke, personalized approach to accelerating deep tech startups in order to be sure we are maximizing each founder’s time in the program and address the needs and opportunities specific to their company. Through our approach, we enable founders to enter the market, raise funds and grow revenue, customers and valuation, and to do this faster and more efficiently than they would have been able to on their own.
Personalized Mentorship
Through a founder-focused program, mentorship and unparalleled and unfiltered access to the Intel ecosystem, external tech executives and investors, we help founders accelerate all aspects of their companies and reach their goals. We focus our programs on optimizing fundraising, defining go-to-market strategy, refining the narrative, and achieving lasting strategic impact.
We believe that early-stage deep tech startups have the power to change the world with their disruptive ideas and technologies. To maximize that power, their founders need a trusted ally with a proven track record of success at their side – one that does not take equity and prides itself on genuine mentorship.
Go-to-Market Expertise
We know what works for startups because we’ve been there before. Intel Ignite is based on a co-founder-as-a-service model – we’ve been in the founders’ shoes before and can help them determine how best to overcome challenges with hard-won knowledge and proven strategies.
The Intel internal mentors and external expert mentors are committed to the success of the startups. These individuals are carefully selected based on their expertise and they dedicate significant time and energy to helping the founders develop their companies.
Our mentorship program is mutually beneficial – giving the founders direction, insight and access to industry experts and insights they would otherwise likely not receive. Through the mentor program, we are also helping to inspire adoption of the startup spirit within Intel. Executives who participate as mentors consistently tell us how inspired and motivated they are when they return to their teams – bringing renewed energy and ideas. In fact, one executive who leads a team of AI researchers found that a realization about LLMs he came across while mentoring a startup drove him to adopt a new strategy with his team. Thanks to his experience as a mentor, he also found great value in understanding the usage of LLMs in his and the corporate team’s daily work and ultimately enhanced Intel’s products. Our mentors are building on Intel’s rich history as a tech disruptor, leading their teams to be agile, experiment and take calculated risks.
Global Startup Ecosystem
Just as the startups’ journey doesn’t end when the accelerator does, neither does our relationship with them. For us, the end of the 12-week program is just the beginning – mentors and managing directors alike forge long-lasting, often life-long relationships with the founders.
Our approach is people first – we’re co-creating the future of tech with our founders, while also supporting them and their well-being to fuel company growth. Additionally, we help them to avoid burnout and maintain their mental health. Our goal is to create successful founders and grow the startup and tech ecosystem across the regions where Intel Ignite operates its cohorts.
With this in mind, we invite you to help us ignite the future of world-changing tech. Follow us on social media on LinkedIn here, and on X @IntelIgnite, where we highlight the deep tech startup stories that are changing the tech landscape.
