Why Entrepreneurs Choose LabStart
Hear what some of our 2026 fellows love about LabStart and why they applied to our cohort.
Hear From Our Fellows
In the past [as an entrepreneur], I would take technology and try to find product-market fit, but I wanted to do it a little differently this time. LabStart’s Discover phase gave me the opportunity to start from the market and then identify technology, and that resonated with me. I knew that I could build something that would have traction and that customers would actually want.”
Pilanda Watkins-Curry, Ph.D.
AuraChrome
Our solutions should take communities into account firsthand; they shouldn't be an afterthought. LabStart has shown me that they see the world similarly, and the fact that they have business experience and successful ventures in the past helps me feel confident that they can help me navigate that aspect of this—designing a business that is profitable and can grow, while also making sure we're helping the communities that we're incorporated in.”
Sebastian Garcia
Khaya Biosciences
What I really appreciate about LabStart is the methodology and the tools that they provide entrepreneurs. Even having been a former entrepreneur of 10 years, a lot of the tools and intelligence shared, I wasn't even exposed to—which is shocking, because I've been through quite a few programs.”
Tinia Pina
Stealth
Joining LabStart gave me a lot more confidence and also gave me a bit of a playbook on how to go about starting a climate tech business, and removed a lot of the mental barriers I had.”
Warren Ndlovu
Sotera Materials
Meeting the LabStart team, I felt a sense of community that I thought was quite valuable when it comes to launching an early company and being a first-time founder. And through my time working with them, I've realized that it wasn't just a front. They really care about helping us reach the next level as founders and as people, and understand that it's not just about the profit, it's about changing the world in a positive way.
Sebastian Garcia
Khaya Biosciences
They are great at giving you the mechanics of what goes in a pitch, or how to talk to VCs, which in and of itself has value. But I would say the secret sauce is in their ability to ask you probing existential questions. For example, LabStart’s Discover phase on its surface is about testing the viability of your product, but they also challenge you to think about what kind of culture you want to build in your company, and whether you actually want to run a company. They’re great at asking those probing questions that lead you toward being really confident in what you’re creating.”
Monica Sanders
Bonne Terre
Working with LabStart has been a great opportunity to dig deep into my ‘why.’ I feel like so many accelerators focus only on the curriculum of doing business, like how to size a market, how to develop a business plan…But I think the thing that really fuels entrepreneurship is the person. LabStart takes an extra look at what's behind the business, and the people who are powering it, and helps us understand and connect to our mission, why we want to pursue this in the first place.”
Emilio Balderas
Aura Life Science
In addition to all the practical ways they’ve helped, LabStart has also helped with some of the softer things people don’t think about, like getting over some of the mental hurdles you deal with as an entrepreneur.”
Warren Ndlovu
Sotera Materials
When you're focusing on deep technology, hard science, you need to understand the strategies, the tactics, and the know-how to quickly de-risk things and answer questions as quickly as possible. The team LabStart put together has proven itself to be able to do that and be successful with their first cohort. That gave me confidence that starting with them we were going to have a solid foundation.”
Tinia Pina
Stealth
No other accelerators, particularly in this climate, are brave enough to say, ‘We want to do this with people who don't look like most of the folks in Silicon Valley, and we're going to lean into it even when everything else in the ecosystem is telling us not to bet on these folks.’ LabStart comes into this gap. They’re willing to open up their network, their experience, and Rolodex to make a real substantial change in the ecosystem. They also care about getting research ideas out of the ivory tower and into the world, to make not just scientific impact but economic impact.”
Monica Sanders
Bonne Terre
Ready to Join the Next Cohort?
If the experiences of our fellows inspired you, explore the fellowship, learn how the program works, and start your application.
