Build real momentum. No Distractions.
The Summer Accelerator Fellowship is a 10-week, fulltime accelerator for BELL founders ready to move from traction to takeoff—paid stipend, dedicated coaching, and a demo Day at the end.
Applications Open Dec. 1, 2026
This is not a class. This is execution.
The Summer Accelerator Fellowship is an intensive, full-time summer accelerator for founders who are already building—not exploring.
For 10 weeks, selected founders work inside the BELL fulltime, backed by dedicated coaching, personal milestones, and real accountability built to drive measurable progress. It ends with Demo Day, where founders pitch investor-ready ventures to judges, ecosystem leaders, and potential funding partners.
The Fellowship.
Full Summer Stipend — $6,000 for individual founders, up to $12,000 for teams of two or more, so you can focus entirely on building.
Dedicated Startup Coach — Weekly 1:1 sessions built around your specific challenges.
Workspace at the BELL — A dedicated, collaborative environment with daily peer accountability.
Weekly Cohort Programming — 3–4 hours a week built into your schedule as a group — big-topic sessions with our Entrepreneur in Residence, pitching workshops, and weekly check-ins and recaps with your cohort. You're accelerating fast, but you're not doing it alone.
Demo Day — Pitch your venture to judges, investors, and ecosystem leaders at summer's end.
This Is for You If...
The Summer Accelerator Fellowship is only open to founders currently in the Validation Stage or Launch Stage of the BELL Startup Incubator. This isn't an entry point — it's a next step for founders who are already building.
You're an active founder in the Validation or Launch Stage.
You're ready to commit fulltime for 10 weeks — this is your summer, not a side project.
You're coachable, execution-oriented, and driven by milestones, not theory.
You have — or are close to having — early traction: customers, a working MVP, or real validation.
Priority goes to founders with early traction or working prototypes, committed founding teams, and a clear, scalable problem-solution fit.
Know before you commit.
Applications open Dec. 1 and close before Spring Break — so you'll know whether you're in before you have to decide on a summer internship or anything else. Only 8 teams are selected each year, and the program is competitive, so don't wait until the deadline.
Applications Open: Dec. 1
Applications Close: March 5
Decisions Announced: March 11
Teams Selected: 8
Program Dates: May 17 – July 23 (10 weeks, fulltime)
Demo Day: July 22
Applications Open
Dec. 1, 2026
Program Structure
Ten weeks. Three pillars. One cohort.
Venture Roadmap & Accountability — Week one, you'll build a personalized 10-week execution roadmap with weekly traction goals, venture OKRs, and defined Demo Day success metrics — tracked weekly through founder check-ins.
High-Impact Coaching & Mentorship — A dedicated startup coach and industry-specific mentors — all focused on solving real challenges in real time.
Founder Working Environment — Fulltime workspace inside the BELL, daily peer accountability, and access to the full startup ecosystem.
Cohort Programming
Every week includes 3–4 hours of scheduled programming as a full cohort — not optional. Its filled with big-topic sessions led by our Entrepreneur in Residence, pitching workshops, and just the cohort checking in and recapping what's working and what isn't.
Building a company full-time is intense — this is the built-in structure that keeps you from doing it in isolation.
