We invest in extraordinary early-stage startups with exceptional founders and cutting-edge technologies and products, and actively support them. Most of our first investments are done through our Launchpad program.
What We Do
Investments
Launchpad
Highroad Launchpad is a unique, value-based acceleration program for early-stage startups that truly understands the entrepreneurs and helps them get where they need to be.
Laucnhpad basics
We invest $50k in each company and take the founders through a hands-on, tailor-made sprint. We start with setting the goals we’re aiming to achieve in about 6 months, based on the company’s longer-term business plan and funds. We then build together a plan to support that (and far beyond, of course) and actively help you execute it.
Launchpad
benefits
It's always the people
We believe in people, and we know what it means to be an entrepreneur. We also understand that different people and different startups have different needs. That’s why we work hands-on with the founders of our companies and build a tailored process for each of them. We are there with the founders and actively assist them, every step along the way.
We believe in true value creation
360° support
Operating a startup is very challenging, but with Highroad, you don’t need to go at it alone. When joining Highroad Launchpad, you gain comprehensive support from mentors, domain experts, and your new Highroad community. We provide direction, experience, knowledge, and access to the hive-mind that is formed by other program founders, just like you.
Accelerated knowledge
We are the sum of years of varied experience and skills that each of our mentors and team members have cumulatively gained. This concentrated form of information allows you to speed your startup’s development. Instead of reinventing the wheel, you are assisted in the leveraging of years of accumulated wisdom to launch your startup in a much more calculated, strategic way.
Skill development
Our program focuses on teaching you the skills that are essential to running a business, such as sales and marketing, communications, finance and select technical skills. We will also help you share your skills with other founders in your cohort and in a wider urban tech innovation network, providing a great testing ground for disseminating your skills forward to your own team.
Access to investors
Alongside the potential funding Highroad may execute, we will connect you directly to potential investors within our network of friends and colleagues. We create opportunities for one-on-one meetings and matches with relevant investors throughout the cohort, help prepare you to woo potential investors, and provide you the tools and techniques you need to win over any networking opportunities. Our end-of-program “Demo Day” is yet another way to expose you to various angels, investors and partners.
A gateway to future customers
We wish to help you validate your startup’s direction and create a timeline for you to work toward, so you remain focused and customer-centric ahead of your launch. The prospects you interact with during Demo Days or via other channels can form the start of an important database of leads, and give you a head start on brand development and recognition. We seek to leverage our network and directly expose you to potential clients and strategic design partners.
A holistic approach to success
Every entrepreneur fears the risk of failure. We will help you identify and minimize potential risks within your innovative concept, as pertaining to product development, pricing, technology, operations, customer service, marketing, finance and HR management, so that each of these elements can be cohesively executed.
A broad, future-forward view
Our mentors will help you foresee any complexities that may develop within your company as a function of time and guide you towards successfully transcending each challenge as it surfaces. We will ask the questions that get you to think about the bigger picture and what it should look like for your startup. We will also suggest tools and tactics to help you realize your long-term goals.
Supportive community
Being a founder can be lonely – and being part of a collaborative and supportive environment to keep you going and moving forward is essential to your startup’s success. We facilitate interactions with other portfolio company founders, to keep you motivated and on course. When you hear about others’ self-doubts and challenges, they will not only resonate with you, they will also remind you that it is possible to overcome these doubts and challenges, especially as a cohesive unit.
Innovation-inspiring activities
All Highroad Launchpads portfolio companies can benefit from the knowledge and connections made possible from a wide variety of activities designed to enable urban tech development success: meetings with mentors, feedback sessions, “Demo Day” presentations, networking opportunities and social activities. There is a lot of information to glean from these events and even more to apply directly to your startup.
Continued support, long after the program ends
You will always remain a part of the Highroad community. This is a long-term relationship, which can also potentially lead to investments in your company. We also support an active alumni network and encourage you to leverage its collective wisdom and share thoughts, inquire about talent, seek investors or obtain feedback, as you keep elevating your startup.
Unique Offerings for Our Startups
