Curated list of startup incubators and accelerators from Denver and guides to their programs
Denver's startup ecosystem thrives on a unique combination of outdoor culture, tech innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. The city has become a major hub for companies working in aerospace, software, cannabis tech, outdoor recreation technology, and renewable energy. Local startup incubators in Denver and accelerator programs reflect this diversity, offering founders access to coworking spaces, mentorship networks, and connections to both local and national investors. Many programs are closely tied to universities like University of Colorado, Colorado State, and the University of Denver, creating pipelines between academic research and commercial innovation.
Next on the list is Techstars, which has backed more than 3,500 startups, including well-known names like Uber, Twilio, and DigitalOcean.
Techstars invests up to $120,000 in each company. This includes $20,000 upfront plus the right to purchase 6% of your fully diluted shares at your next qualified financing round (typically when you raise $250,000+). The 6% common stock is issued right before that financing event. Full investment terms are available on the Techstars website.
You apply through an online form, which usually takes 2–5 hours to complete. Many founders speak with Techstars mentors beforehand to make sure their application communicates their startup clearly and effectively.
If your application makes it through the initial review, you’ll receive an invitation to a two-round interview, usually within four weeks. Common interview questions include:
If I gave you $200K to hire people, who would you hire?
Who are your target customers?
What outcome are you hoping to achieve by joining Techstars?
What are your most important leading indicators or KPIs this week?
How did you validate this market, and how big is the opportunity?
If you pass the interview rounds, you’ll meet with the Techstars screening committee, which includes the managing director, program manager, mentors, and corporate partners. Clear that stage, and you officially join the three-month Techstars program.
Month 1 is all about building your network. You’ll meet around 100 mentors from the Techstars ecosystem—experts across product, marketing, leadership, hiring, fundraising, and more.
Month 2 is about execution. You’ll use what you learned to push your startup forward: building product milestones, hitting KPIs, onboarding early users, or sharpening your business model.
Month 3 focuses on storytelling and fundraising. You’ll polish your pitch deck, develop investor materials, and practice communicating your vision to customers, investors, and future team members. The month ends with Demo Day.
After the program, Techstars continues supporting founders through its alumni network and ongoing mentorship.
Denver's startup community is known for its collaborative and open culture. Founders, executives, and industry veterans frequently return to local accelerators and incubators to share their experiences, offer mentorship, and help new entrepreneurs avoid common pitfalls. This culture of giving back creates a strong learning environment where knowledge flows freely between generations of startup builders.
Programs like Boomtown Accelerators, Techstars Boulder (serving the greater Denver metro), and Innosphere Ventures regularly host sessions where successful founders discuss fundraising strategies, product development challenges, and market expansion tactics. These aren't generic talks—they're practical, honest conversations that reflect real experiences from building companies in Colorado's unique market.
For example, alumni from Catalyst HTI—Denver's health and wellness tech accelerator—often return to guide new founders through regulatory challenges, clinical partnerships, and the nuances of selling into healthcare systems. A startup working on digital therapeutics might receive advice from a CEO who successfully navigated FDA approval processes or secured their first hospital partnership.
Denver's knowledge-sharing culture extends beyond formal mentorship. Founders regularly meet at local coffee shops, brewery networking events, and community gatherings to exchange ideas and problem-solve together. This informal yet valuable exchange helps create an ecosystem where no founder has to figure everything out alone.
The city's outdoor-oriented lifestyle also influences how knowledge sharing happens. It's common for founders to connect during hiking meetups, ski trips, or bike rides—blending Denver's active culture with meaningful business conversations. These relaxed settings often lead to the most honest and helpful exchanges.
In Denver, joining a startup accelerator or incubator means gaining access to a community that genuinely wants to help you succeed—where experienced founders share their playbooks and lessons learned without hesitation.
Denver's startup accelerators serve as central hubs for the city's entrepreneurial community, constantly organizing events, workshops, and networking opportunities that bring founders, investors, and innovators together. These programs don't just operate as training grounds—they actively shape Denver's startup culture by creating spaces where collaboration happens naturally.
Accelerators like Boomtown Accelerators, Techstars, and Innosphere Ventures regularly host pitch competitions, demo days, founder breakfasts, and industry-specific meetups. Their calendars are filled with events designed to connect early-stage startups with the resources they need to grow. Whether it's a fireside chat with a successful Denver entrepreneur or a technical workshop on product development, these gatherings keep the ecosystem energized and connected.
Programs like Catalyst HTI and Commons on Champa also organize sector-focused events that bring together founders working in health tech, cannabis, outdoor recreation, and sustainability. These specialized gatherings create opportunities for founders to meet potential collaborators, customers, and investors who understand their specific industry challenges.
Denver's accelerators are known for blending professional networking with the city's relaxed, outdoor-friendly culture. You might find a startup pitch competition followed by a rooftop happy hour, or a founder hike organized by an accelerator alumni network. This approachable atmosphere makes it easier for new founders to break into the community and build genuine relationships.
By consistently organizing events and fostering connections, Denver's accelerators ensure that the startup community remains vibrant, supportive, and accessible. They create the rhythm of the ecosystem—bringing people together week after week, building the relationships that turn ideas into companies.
One of the most valuable aspects of Denver's startup incubators is their ability to connect founders with the right people at the right time. Instead of forcing entrepreneurs to navigate the ecosystem blindly, incubators act as connectors—introducing startups to mentors, industry experts, investors, and partners who can genuinely help move their business forward.
Denver incubators like Boomtown, Innosphere, and Catalyst HTI curate their networks based on each startup's specific needs. If a founder is building a cannabis technology platform, they're introduced to dispensary owners, compliance experts, and investors who specialize in the industry. If a startup is working on outdoor recreation tech, they meet gear manufacturers, athletes, and retail partners who understand that market.
These programs offer structured networking opportunities that go beyond casual meetups:
– Mentor matching sessions
– Investor office hours
– Corporate partnership roundtables
– Industry expert panels
– Alumni networking events
These aren't surface-level introductions. Incubators facilitate warm connections to people who can provide strategic advice, open doors to customers, or lead funding rounds. For many founders, a single introduction from their incubator becomes a turning point—leading to their first major client, a key advisor, or a critical investment.
Denver's tight-knit ecosystem also means that incubators help founders avoid wasting time on unproductive connections. They guide startups toward relationships that actually matter for their stage and industry, saving months of trial and error.
After graduation, the networking power continues. Alumni Slack channels, private events, and ongoing mentor relationships keep founders plugged into opportunities long after their program ends. In Denver's collaborative culture, a strong network isn't just helpful—it's often what separates startups that scale from those that struggle.
Startups that go through Denver's incubators and accelerators have a strong track record of attracting investment from local angels, regional VCs, and national venture funds. The city's programs act as validation engines, helping founders refine their pitch, prove their market, and build credibility—all of which make them more attractive to investors.
Programs like Boomtown Accelerators, Innosphere Ventures, and Techstars Boulder have collectively helped launch companies that have raised hundreds of millions in venture capital. Investors trust that startups coming out of these programs have been rigorously coached, tested, and vetted by experienced mentors who understand what it takes to build scalable businesses.
Denver's focus on emerging industries—cannabis tech, outdoor recreation, aerospace, and clean energy—has also attracted specialized investors who are eager to fund innovation in these sectors. For example, startups graduating from Catalyst HTI often secure funding from health-focused VCs, while companies in Boomtown attract investors interested in frontier tech and high-growth markets.
Many founders report that investment momentum starts during the program itself. Demo days, investor mixers, and warm introductions from mentors frequently lead directly to term sheets. It's common for a Denver accelerator graduate to close their seed round within weeks of finishing the program, thanks to relationships built during their time in the cohort.
The investment landscape in Denver is also strengthened by active local angel groups like Rockies Venture Club and funds like Access Venture Partners, which regularly scout talent from Denver's incubator and accelerator programs. This creates a pipeline where strong startups get noticed, funded, and supported as they scale.
In Denver, joining a startup incubator or accelerator doesn't just give you training—it positions you in front of investors who are actively looking to fund the next wave of Colorado innovation.
Denver's incubators don't just help founders build products—they actively promote their alumni, giving startups ongoing visibility in the ecosystem. Through newsletters, social media, press features, and event showcases, incubators help their graduates stay on the radar of investors, partners, and potential customers long after the program ends.
Programs like Boomtown Accelerators and Innosphere Ventures frequently highlight alumni success stories on their websites, LinkedIn pages, and in community updates. These features reach thousands of people across Denver's innovation community—angel investors, corporate partners, and fellow founders—helping alumni attract new opportunities.
Denver incubators also create high-visibility events where alumni can showcase their progress. Demo days, pitch competitions, and industry showcases bring together investors, media, and corporate partners. For example, Catalyst HTI regularly organizes health tech showcases where alumni present to hospital systems and healthcare investors. These events provide alumni with a platform to demonstrate traction and secure partnerships.
Another powerful marketing tool is the network effect. When an incubator's alumni achieve major milestones—funding announcements, product launches, strategic partnerships—the entire community amplifies that news. Mentors, fellow founders, and program staff share updates across social media and professional networks, creating organic visibility that can lead to new customers, investors, or press coverage.
Denver's startup community is also highly active on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, where incubators tag and promote their alumni regularly. This consistent visibility helps startups build their brand and stay top-of-mind within the ecosystem.
In Denver, an incubator isn't just a place to start your company—it's a long-term partner that continues to open doors, create opportunities, and promote your work as you grow. That ongoing support can make a significant difference in a startup's ability to attract attention and scale successfully.
Building a startup in Denver offers a unique blend of opportunity, lifestyle, and community. The city's entrepreneurial scene is growing rapidly, supported by a culture that values innovation, collaboration, and work-life balance. Whether you're launching a tech company, a cannabis startup, or an outdoor recreation business, here are some tips to help you make the most of Denver's ecosystem.
Embrace the Outdoor Culture
Denver founders often blend work with the city's outdoor lifestyle. Networking hikes, founder ski trips, and bike-to-work meetups are common. These settings create relaxed environments for meaningful conversations and authentic connections. Don't be surprised if your next investor meeting happens on a trail.
Denver's startup scene is spread across several key areas:
– RiNo (River North): Creative startups, cannabis tech, coworking spaces.
– LoDo (Lower Downtown): Tech companies, investors, startup events.
– Boulder: Close to Denver, strong in aerospace, clean energy, university connections.
– Denver Tech Center: Enterprise software, established tech companies.
Working near your industry can help you build connections faster.
Universities like CU Boulder, Colorado State, and University of Denver offer entrepreneurship programs, research partnerships, and talent pipelines. Many host public pitch nights, hackathons, and startup workshops. These are great places to find co-founders, interns, and technical collaborators.
Denver's startup community is highly active. Events like Denver Startup Week, Startup Grind meetups, and accelerator demo days are packed with founders, investors, and mentors. Show up consistently and you'll quickly become part of the network.
If you're working in cannabis, outdoor tech, aerospace, renewable energy, or health and wellness, Denver offers unique advantages. The city has deep expertise, supportive regulations (in some cases), and investors who understand these markets. Lean into what makes Denver different.
Denver has a growing investor community, including angel groups and regional VCs. Attend office hours, pitch events, and networking mixers to get on their radar early. Local investors often prefer building relationships over time rather than cold pitches.
Denver's 300 days of sunshine and proximity to the mountains make it easier to maintain balance. Many founders find that taking time to hike, ski, or bike actually improves their focus and creativity. Don't feel guilty about stepping away—Denver's culture supports it.
Startup life can be isolating, but Denver's community is welcoming and collaborative. Join coworking spaces, participate in founder dinners, or join accelerator alumni groups. These relationships provide support, advice, and motivation when you need it most.
Denver's startup ecosystem rewards those who show up, contribute, and embrace the city's unique blend of ambition and quality of life. Take advantage of the resources, build genuine relationships, and enjoy the journey.