🧠 the 8 things investors look for in a pitch (that you should too)
Let's dive deep into the 8 T's: team, TAM, timing, traction, theory, tracking, terms, and technology.
Read moreTraction Lab Venture Accelerator - Find the traction you need to raise your next round
The Right Box joined forces with the Carlsen Center to launch Traction Labs, a venture acclerator for scalable, pre-seed & seed-stage startups.
The Traction Labs Venture Accelerator (TLVA) fosters the growth of massively scalable, seed-stage, technology-based companies in the City of Sacramento through an objectives-based cohort program. We bridge the gap between programs serving idea-stage startups and those who have raised a pre-seed/seed round.
Our mission is to help startups design scalable, investment-ready ventures by providing the tools to find product-market fit, secure funding, and build the foundations for long-term success.
The startups best suited are massively scalable and venture-backable; have been around for at least 6 months; and have 2 or more founders working full-time on the startup. The company status is beyond the idea stage, and they have some early progress to demonstrate, but are not yet ready to scale.
Our goal is to prepare our portfolio companies for their next priced round. We aim for our portfolio companies to be ready to pitch to investors and raise their Series Seed or Series A round of funding within 10 months. This includes completing investment readiness assessments, refining business models, product development, and delivering investor-ready pitches.
- Raised by our startups
- $50M+
- Investors in network
- 100+
- Mentors engaged
- 40+
What's in it for founders? - Why join the Accelerator?
The TLVA is a unique, stage-gated program designed with the needs of founders in mind. We are a comprehensive program with everything founders of venture-backable startups need to get to their next round of funding:
Mentorship
- Expert mentorship. Receive personalized guidance from industry leaders and startup experts to navigate challenges and achieve your growth milestones.
- Strategic workshops. Engage in workshops focused on growth hacking, rapid prototyping, and partnership development to enhance your strategic capabilities.
- Accountability. Stay on track with regular check-ins and support to ensure you meet key milestones for growth and fundraising.
- Investment readiness. Develop a clear pathway to prepare for and attract potential investors.
Network
- Thriving community. Join a global network of designers, developers, marketers, and fellow founders to collaborate and grow together.
- Powerful network. Leverage our extensive connections to access the people and resources essential for raising capital and expanding your business.
- Masterminds & roundtables. Participate in collaborative sessions with fellow founders to accelerate customer discovery, product-market fit, and fundraising efforts.
Resources
- Access to capital. Connect with a robust investor network and secure the funding needed to scale your startup.
- Non-dilutive funding. Utilize experiment dollars to drive traction and growth without relinquishing additional equity.
- Operational support. Streamline your operations with as-needed support in marketing, legal, HR, finance, and product development.
Join the Traction Lab
Apply now to join Sacramento’s newest Venture Accelerator and become one of our portfolio companies. Applications are open now, and the program kicks off at the start of 2025.
Application process - Startups are hard,
but applying is easy.
Applications are open now! We formally kick off the accelerator at the start of 2025, and we will be accepting companies into our portfolio on a rolling basis. Here’s how to get started:
- 1. Apply. Boring but necessary. Take 30-60 minutes to fill out the application so we can get to know you better, and see if your company would be a good fit for the program.
- 2. Interview. Let’s get our teams on a video call to ask each other any questions we might have, and to ensure we’re a good fit for each other.
- 3. Roadmap. Once you’re accepted into the accelerator, we work with you to define a first-draft Traction Roadmap to get you to your next fundraising round.
Frequently asked questions - You've got questions. We've got answers.
Applications are open now! We formally kick off the accelerator at the start of 2025, and we will be accepting companies into our portfolio on a rolling basis. Here’s how to get started:
Applying
Eligibility
About the program
Our culture - We’re not f—ing around.
Because neither are you. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have crazy fun doing what we love. These are the principles that guide us:
- Do sh*t that matters. Life is short. Yesterday & tomorrow don’t exist. Make an impact — now.
- Fail quickly and cheaply (but not epicly). Failure is inevitable; failure is data. True… but never fail more than you have to.
- Don’t make the same mistake twice. Why revisit old mistakes when there is plenty of new ground to explore?
- Never trust the vibes. “Gut” is a euphemism for motivated guessing. Vibes are great starting points, but they’re not data.
- Be biased toward action. Thinking is where we get started, but it’s not how we make progress. When in doubt, do.
- Crack jokes & crack up. If innovating isn’t fun and funny, you’re doing it wrong.
Recent articles
We run multiple newsletters for innovators, including Traction Thinking and Founding with AI, and co-host the podcast Zero to Traction. Here are some recent things we’ve said:
The "pack it up, pivot, or persevere" edition
Investors want milestones. Advisors want milestones. You want milestones. But how tho? JDM and Cameron are diving deep!
Read more🧠 How to craft a perfect elevator pitch
Let's talk about what goes into a killer elevator pitch — and some common mistakes you’d do well to avoid. Plus! Four fill-in-the-blank templates you can use to craft your own elevator pitch.
Read moreThe "price is right" edition
It's time we talked business models, and how startups can leverage common patterns to maximize their chances of creating companies that scale.
Read moreJoin the Traction Lab
Apply now to join Sacramento’s newest Venture Accelerator and become one of our portfolio companies. Applications are open now, and the program kicks off at the start of 2025.