Build a fundable company — with a global Techstars cohort — from Belfast.
Founder Catalyst is a highly selective, 10-week, part-time virtual pre-accelerator designed to take you from early idea / early traction → clear customer, credible plan, fundable story.
WHY THIS MATTERS (ESPECIALLY IN NORTHERN IRELAND)
Techstars Belfast is a Startup Community Partnership built with Ormeau Labs and Queen's University Belfast — opening the door to Techstars' worldwide network of mentors, investors, tools, and programmes.
If you're building something ambitious here, Founder Catalyst is the fastest credible on-ramp into that global ecosystem.
WHO IT'S FOR
BUILDERS
Technical FoundersBring code. Leave with momentum.
You're building the product, but you want sharper focus: the right customer, the right wedge, the right story — and the weekly pressure to execute.
You'll love this if you want: Faster validation loops, repeatable GTM experiments, tighter metrics, and a pitch that matches reality.
Apply to Founder CatalystRESEARCHERS
PhD / Postdoc / Lab TeamsBring the insight. We'll help you prove demand.
You have something real — but translating research into a company is a different sport.
You'll love this if you want: Customer discovery that respects depth, a commercial wedge, a fundable narrative, and the confidence to move from "interesting" to "investable".
Apply to Founder CatalystDOMAIN EXPERTS
Deep Industry OperatorsBring the problem. We'll help you build the wedge.
You understand the industry pain better than anyone — now you need the go-to-market path and a story that wins.
You'll love this if you want: Structured problem framing, proof-driven GTM, metrics that matter, and investor-ready clarity.
Apply to Founder CatalystWHAT YOU GET
The benefits founders actually care about
You'll get a tight structure with weekly sessions and feedback loops — plus the credibility and reach of Techstars.
Translation: you leave with the artefacts customers and investors expect — not just "advice".
HOW THE PROGRAMME WORKS
Masterclass Track
Core founder buildA practical curriculum covering the fundamentals that make a startup investable:
- Customer discovery → ICP → PMF evidence
- GTM wedge + experiments
- Metrics + traction narrative
- Financial model + runway logic
- Pitch + fundraising readiness
Pitch Feedback Drop-ins
Repetition loopYou pitch, get direct critique, iterate, and pitch again.
- This is where founders compound fast: repetition + specific feedback beats "one perfect pitch workshop".
Partner Workshops
Operator-level helpTargeted sessions designed to make you execution-ready. (Examples from the Belfast track may include:)
- Sales pipeline management using AI (HubSpot)
- AI infrastructure architecture (AWS)
- Investor pipeline management (Metal)
Community Track
Pattern recognition + ambitionSessions that help you see what "great" looks like and how the game is played:
- Fundraising fundamentals
- Unicorn journeys + founder mental models
- What great investors listen for (and what they ignore)
CURRICULUM
What you'll actually cover
The Customer Playbook: Discovery → PMF
Run discovery properly, define your ICP, and prove the pain with evidence.
Forecasting for Success with Financial Modelling (Part 1)
Build a simple, investor-legible model: assumptions, unit economics logic, runway.
When to Scale and How Fast
Learn what scaling really means — and how to avoid premature burn.
Go-To-Market Foundations: picking the right first channel
Pick a wedge, design tests, avoid "spray and pray".
From Story to Stage: mastering the winning pitch
Problem, why now, why you, traction, model, ask — tied to evidence.
Product: roadmapping, testing, prioritising & launching
Roadmap by hypothesis, not feature-wishlists.
The Magic of Metrics
Define the few numbers that matter and talk about traction credibly.
WHAT YOU'LL LEAVE WITH
Outcomes checklist
By the end, strong participants typically have:
THE SELECTION BAR
This is not for tourists.
Techstars is looking for founders with deep problem insight, strong execution, resilience, and ambition to build scalable companies in meaningful markets.
Baseline criteria (from Techstars):
- Beyond ideation (moving toward product or growth)
- Pre- or post-revenue; if post-revenue, MRR up to $5k
- Raised no more than $400k external funding
- Traction signals encouraged (pilots, users, waitlist, pre-orders)
- Offered exclusively to founders from partner communities including Belfast
FAQ
Is this in-person?
It's a virtual programme (part-time) running across 10 weeks.
Do you take equity?
No — Techstars notes there is no equity exchange in Founder Catalyst programmes.
I'm a researcher — can I apply if this isn't a fully formed startup yet?
If you're beyond pure ideation and can show real problem insight + evidence gathering (discovery, pilots, waitlist, early users), you're in the zone Techstars is looking for.
Why should I trust this?
This is delivered through Techstars Belfast — a formal partnership between Ormeau Labs, Queen's, and Techstars. And Techstars has supported 10,000+ companies/founders globally.
Applications close 13 February 2026
If you're building something serious — apply now.
One email a week, no spam.