Lunar Startups is a nonprofit entrepreneurial support and accelerator organization focused on empowering underrepresented founders — including Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, women, and non-binary entrepreneurs — with growth readiness, coaching, and community resources rather than acting as a traditional venture fund that writes checks for equity.

Pre-Seed / Seed Support: Helps early-stage founders prepare for growth and future fundraising.
Growth Readiness: Focuses on operational capability, business design, and investor readiness as part of its accelerator curriculum.

• Direct Investment: Lunar Startups does not provide direct capital investments or standardized funding to participating startups as part of the accelerator.
• Equity Taken: It does not take an equity stake, set a fixed ownership percentage, or negotiate cap-table positions as part of the core program. Founders retain ownership of their companies throughout participation.
• Founder Expectation: Because Lunar is about business acceleration and resource access, there’s no program fee linked to granting equity stakes on behalf of Lunar Startups.

Submission Method: Apply through the Lunar Startups online application portal for the accelerator cohort when applications open. 
Cohort Size: Typically selects ~12–15 companies per cohort.

Sector Focus: Open to a wide variety of ventures, especially those scalable in tech, consumer products, or other growth markets; not limited strictly to one industry.
Geography: Based in St. Paul / Minneapolis, Minnesota, but supports founders who can commit to the program schedule. 
Stage: Early-stage with existing products or services in the market or on the verge of scaling. 
Team: Founders committed to engagement and growth; the program supports those who can demonstrate readiness for scaling.

Initial Screening: Review of business plan, traction, and founder fit. 
 Selection: Companies chosen for the customized accelerator experience. 
 Program Engagement: Participation in workshops, executive coaching, mentorship, and business planning milestones. 

Strategic Support: One-on-one executive coaching, mentorship from local professionals, and workshops on scaling skills. 
 Business Capability Development: Guidance on business design, operational planning, capital readiness, and investor messaging. 
 Community & Network: Access to the Lunar expert network and peer cohort support. 
 Soft Support Tools: Legal services and business resources designed to build capacity.