The Iowa Startup Accelerator (ISA) is a structured accelerator offering coaching, pitch development, and growth support for Iowa-based founders, operated by NewBoCo and supported by ISA Ventures, designed to help startups strengthen their branding, marketing, sales, and investor readiness with demo opportunities to investors and mentors.

Pre-Seed / Seed: Focuses on early founders who have product/market fit, revenue traction, or prototypes ready for sales.
Early Institutional: While the accelerator itself doesn’t primarily act as a venture fund, it connects startups with potential investors at Demo Day and broader ecosystem partners.

Typical Capital Support (Historical & Program Variants):
• Legacy accelerator terms from past cohorts (e.g., 2020) showed ISA providing $20,000 in cash in exchange for ~6% equity per team at the start of the program, plus the opportunity to compete for up to ~$100,000 in additional financing.
• Later online listings indicate up to $70K in seed funding support and access to mentors, though specific equity terms are not listed publicly for current relaunch cohorts.
• NewBoCo’s relaunched format (Fall 2025 / Spring 2026) is structured primarily as educational and coaching-focused with no published equity or investment amount tied directly to the core seven-week program — founders pay a nominal participation fee (~$500), which is not equity given up.

• Equity Terms Varies by Cohort: Earlier ISA versions did take equity (e.g., ~6% for $20K) tied to separate seed investment fund participation.
• Current Public Materials (2025–2026) do not specify any mandatory equity requirement for the core accelerator itself, instead framing ISA as preparatory support before further funding.
• If equity is taken in specific investment deals (e.g., seed funding linked to ISA Ventures), those terms are negotiated per company when investment is offered. (This reflects how many local accelerators structure follow-on investment rather than a fixed accelerator equity stake.)

• Historically: Equity in exchange for cash from accelerator-linked seed funds (priced equity or SAFE).
• For current cohorts: No standard equity publish — if investment happens, it is on a negotiated basis with investors present at Demo Day or through ISA Ventures.

Submission Method: Apply via NewBoCo’s Iowa Startup Accelerator portal with a business profile demonstrating product/market fit, prototype completion, or revenue signal.
Program Fee: Current cohorts list a nominal $500 participation fee (not equity). 
Selection: Applications include interviews, with final cohort offers extended to selected teams. 

Sector Focus: Broad — startups with established product or revenue focus.
 Geography: Must be Iowa-based, with emphasis on regional development. 
Stage: Pre-seed to early seed with demonstrable customer discovery and sales readiness. 
Team: Founders with working prototypes with LOIs or early revenue.

Initial Screening: Review of application for product/market fit and readiness.
 Program Engagement: Weekly workshops on branding, marketing, sales, and fundraising readiness.
 Demo Day: Final presentations to mentors, ecosystem partners, and potential investors.
 Post-Program Investment: Connections to investors initiated at Demo Day; investment terms are negotiated directly between founders and interested parties.

Strategic Coaching: Deep dive workshops on sales, marketing, and brand strategy. 
 Networking & Mentors: Access to a mentor network and ecosystem resources. 
 Pitch & Fundraising Prep: Demo Day exposure to potential investors. 
 Potential Seed Funding: Through ecosystem partners or separate investment funds where applicable.