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PARTNER WITH US

BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOUNDERS IN BELFAST

— and across Northern Ireland

Techstars Belfast exists to help ambitious builders start, ship, and scale — with an AI-native approach and a global network behind it.

We partner with companies, universities, investors, and public-sector organisations to run:

  • High-signal events (masterclasses, founder nights, AMAs)
  • Sprints (our AI-era evolution of Startup Weekend)
  • Programmes and pathways (e.g., Founder Catalyst)
  • Community-building activity that creates real founder momentum

Delivered with

Partner with us

WAYS TO PARTNER

A

Partner on Events

Events are our "community heartbeat": repeat collisions, repeat learning, repeat momentum.

Good event formats

  • Founder Night (short talks + networking)
  • AMA / Fireside (operator-led, candid)
  • Masterclass (practical, hands-on)
  • Demo Night (teams show what they shipped)
  • Partner workshop (tools + use-cases + credits)

What you bring

  • A great speaker (or two)
  • A practical topic founders actually need
  • Optional: space, food, travel support, or tools/credits

What you get

  • Brand trust with founders (earned, not forced)
  • High-signal relationship building
  • Optional: recruiting/talent visibility
  • Content capture (photos, clips, recap) if you want it

Founder-first rule: we keep the content practical. No sales pitches. If it's a product session, it must help founders ship.

B

Partner on Sprints

Sprints are where founders build, not just talk. They're the fastest way to turn interest into real prototypes, teams, and companies.

Sprint partner options

Challenge Sprint "Here's a real problem. Build the best approach."
Tooling Sprint Enable teams with credits + templates + mentors
Industry Sprint Target a local strength (fintech, legal/regtech, creative industries, health, manufacturing)
AI Agent Sprint Practical agentic workflows, automation, integration

What you bring

Input
  • A clear problem statement (or build theme)
  • Mentors who can show up and help teams unblock
  • Optional: credits/perks/prizes/pilot pathway

What you get

Output
  • Early access to builders and teams
  • Fresh ideas and prototypes against real problems
  • Brand association with "shipping culture"
  • Optional: pilot conversations with the best teams
C

Sponsor Techstars Belfast

Some partners want to do more than show up once. Financial sponsorship allows us to run more events, create more founder on-ramps, and build a stronger NI-wide network.

Important: we do not sell founder access in a way that breaks trust. This stays founder-first.

PARTNER FIT

WHAT MAKES A GREAT PARTNER

We build best with teams who show up, share, and play long-term. If this feels true, we should talk.

You believe in our #givefirst mantra
Want to help founders ship (not just "be associated")
Can bring mentors/operators who are practical
Are willing to show up consistently
Care about AI-era company building (speed, modern tooling, real demos)

HOW IT WORKS

01

Intro call

30 mins — goals, audience, what you want to achieve

02

Choose a partnership mode

Event / Sprint / Sponsorship (or a mix)

03

Design the activation

Topic/theme, roles, what founders get

04

Deliver

We run tight ops; you bring the value

05

Measure + iterate

Attendance, engagement, output, next steps

GET IN TOUCH

Tell us what you want to do and we'll propose the best format.

FAQ

Is this just Belfast?

Belfast is the hub, but we're building a NI-wide network in practice.

Can we run something in Derry / elsewhere?

Yes — if it's founder-first and we can deliver it properly.

Can we pitch at founders?

No. You can teach, mentor, and support shipping. Founders can smell sales decks a mile away.

What's the quickest way to start?

Co-host one event or sponsor one Sprint theme. Then scale what works.