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Candidate Requirements

• APPLICATION: We just closed our application period for Sacramento on April 12th and wish to thank all of the companies for applying. If you believe you are a good fit for FourthWave in the future, please complete the following application, selecting which city you want to be considered for and we’ll notify you in the future when we activate a program. There is a $300 non-refundable fee due at selection for an active program (Sacramento and LA currently), which is the only cost for the program at this time. This cost is waived for cities where grant funding makes that possible (such as Sacramento for 2017). If you have any questions about whether you and your company could both benefit and contribute to the program, please connect with us through our Contact Portal. Don’t rule yourself out – connect with us to see if our program is a fit for you! 

• GENERAL QUALIFIERS: FourthWave will select companies that are women-led. Upon selection, leaders will undergo an assessment with their Veteran Advisor to develop their plan for the year, will actively participate for the duration of the program, and attend all scheduled events and education sessions. You should be committed to the values of conscious leadership yourself and for your team, and to growing an inclusive company reflective of a diverse workforce. Please don’t rule yourself out – ask us here ANY questions you may have. Learn more about Conscious Leadership here.

• RESIDENCY: Selected companies should have their main headquarters located (or be willing to locate) in the City of their program, and commit that their key co-founding and leadership teams participate wherever possible in the education workshops, mentoring, and community-building events for the program year. 

• DIVERSITY: FourthWave is an accelerator focused on women-led companies with inclusive teams. It is not an all-female program. FourthWave cohort companies should be committed to developing diverse teams and conscious leadership-inspired companies.

• COMPANY READINESS: We’re looking to support companies who seek to solve critical path problems to achieve a next-level capital event that will result in growth and scale. You should have some traction: have a prototype, have partners and/or investors, have a sound business model, a team in place, and some revenue earnings (anywhere in the world). Again – don’t rule yourself out – connect with us with any questions.

• TRACTION AND SCALE: FourthWave considers companies beyond idea or concept stage. We seek to help solve critical path challenges (access to capital, talent, scale expertise) for companies who have achieved some degree of traction – a working demo/prototype, some revenue, strategic partnerships, etc. Following the selection of candidates, we will together create a “catalyst” plan for the company, carefully identifying needs, problems to solve, support that will make the difference. The year is all about executing that plan with and for the company. But don’t rule yourself out. Ask us if you have questions about whether or not you would qualify! 

• VERTICALS: Companies within the technology industry sectors of new Machine Learning/Big Data Analytics, and Ag, Med/Health, Bio, Clean/Climate, Sport, and Civic/Government tech are preferred in Sacramento. However, technology isn’t limited to computer technology: if you wonder whether your technology qualifies, ask us here – we’re open to all manner of innovations! 

• AWESOMENESS: We seek out inspiring, extraordinary people leading companies tied to their deep personal passions, and who are genuinely committed to the values of conscious leadership. We share these values as a founding team and as advisors, values we see successfully being deployed in other accelerators we admire, such as MergeLane in Boulder, CO.

• ACCESS TO CAPITAL: We work with every possible source of capital to create a bridge to funding sources for our cohort companies. We are also actively seeking to invite and/or create new sources of early stage seed and Angel capital, a missing link to the funding chain in most every community. Currently, we do not take equity in companies we support, although this may change in the future when/if we introduce our own funds, which we plan to do in the near future.

• CURRENT PROGRAMS AND EVENTS: Visit the city page for the latest dates and announcements for events in Los Angeles, or Sacramento. Learn more about our cornerstone Community Dinners and Conscious Leadership intensive education programs and what you can expect when participating here.