To be eligible for the Gateway program, a founder must be beyond the idea stage. This requires a minimum viable product (MVP), proof of concept, or have a product that is active in the marketplace. If you are still testing your idea(s), we recommend educational programs like the Founder Institute to help in the ideation and foundation building of your company.

In order to receive the $30,000 investment offered as a part of acceptance into Gateway, you will need to have a properly formed corporation (i.e. C-Corp). Companies that are properly structured can receive investment upon the start of the program. Founders that need help structuring their company can still enter Gateway and get the advice they need, but will only receive investment upon incorporation.

Gateway is a four-month full-time program in which the founders of each cohort work out of Gateway headquarters. There is a structured curriculum that spans the four months, and you have the option to stay an additional month while raising funds or transitioning office space. We understand that teams may be in different stages of business, or have their own facilities, so we are flexible on the amount of time spent in the office, but it is in the team's best interest to be in the office as much as possible. It offers you an opportunity to build camaraderie and be incubated alongside other aspiring founders, maximize access to the knowledge of our large mentor network and the Gateway founders, and attend the various learning and networking events held in the office every week, to name a few.