Scratchpad Accelerator increases the odds of success.
Maine’s Seed Accelerator
Invest in your
vision
Accelerator Focus
Scratchpad works with Northern New England's most promising scalable companies that are developing and selling value-added food products. Each cohort is intentionally curated to bring together teams that are ready to make the most of the resources we provide.
What we are about
Based in Bangor, Maine, we coach and support growth-oriented companies across Maine, playing a key role in their success across the following industries:
Agriculture companies
Aquaculture companies
Value-added food companies
Food-related technology companies
Scratchpad focuses on growth-oriented companies and selects cohorts that are at similar stages of development. Our team curates a cohort and mentor pool that will benefit one another. We will have regular remote check-ins and networking events.
Why you should apply
Most start-up companies in Maine have a shared need to raise outside capital to expand and increase their viability. To support growth-oriented companies as they develop, Scratchpad Accelerator offers different types of support from what has traditionally been offered to businesses in the state (by organizations like the Small Business Development Center, Maine's Development Corporations, and SCORE).
We provide a custom designed curriculum to give you the knowledge, connections, and space to support your growth. You will have an opportunity to learn from your cohort and expand your network. In this safe space, you will create a growth plan for your company with guidance from experts, who are committed to your success.
Scratchpad alums have raised more than $5M in outside capital, added thousands of customers, created more than 25 jobs as they have increased revenues significantly. You CAN'T do it alone. Our team will guide you through a proven system and make the introductions necessary to actualize your goals.
Founding Corporate Sponsor:
What we do
Networking opportunities – Multiple times during each cohort, Scratchpad brings in corporate partners and reps from Maine’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, through high-impact networking events based around centers of influence.
Introductions to customers, partners, suppliers, advisory boards and other players - Leveraging a statewide approach to acceleration, Scratchpad connects with most of the private/public companies and institutions in the state to create a fertile environment for entrepreneurial success. In talking to these organizations (well in advance of the cohort kick-off), they build relationships with potential suppliers and first customers. Scratchpad actively engages their network in this manner in order to address the specific needs and wants of participating companies when it comes to connecting to people that can increase a founder’s odds of success.
Start-up mentorship and commercialization assistance - During the lifespan of Scratchpad, they have cultivated a network of over 200 mentors from across the U.S. with a strong bias for people who have significant executive or entrepreneurial experience.
Opportunities to pitch ideas to investors, with other capital options for start-ups – As part of the cohort experience, Scratchpad sponsors “office hours” with investors so that companies can engage with them during Weeks 7 and 13 (on-site time). These meetings allow founders to practice their pitches and get feedback from people actively investing in growth-oriented companies.
Apply Today
Scale your business. Build your vision.
Class of 2024:
Blue Barren Distillery
Coffee Hound
Heiwa Tofu
OnAscent
Class of 2019:
Kinotek
Maine Standard Biofuel
Evercup
Marin
Scratchpad Alum
Class of 2017:
True North Beauty
Herbal Revolution
Sofia Fima
Parkupine
Class of 2015:
CourseStorm
Cobbler Technology
Double Blue
Tip Whip
