MFF Pre-Accelerator powered by gener8tor
To increase the success rate of Michigan startup businesses from underrepresented communities, Michigan Founders Fund has collaborated with global venture firm and startup accelerator gener8tor on a new program in Michigan. Launched in 2025, the Michigan Founders Fund Pre-Accelerator powered by gener8tor has hosted four cohorts of early-stage companies led by underrepresented founders.
Attend the Winter 2026 Founder Showcase!
Thursday, March 26, 2026
6 pm: Founder Networking
7 pm: Founder Showcase
Founders, investors, partners, and other builders are invited to the MFF Pre-Accelerator Founder Showcase for a night of delicious food, networking, and pitches from the winter 2026 cohort of early-stage founders who are seeking to raise their pre-seed and/or seed rounds.
About Michigan Founders Fund Pre-Accelerator
Michigan Founders Fund Pre-Accelerator powered by gener8tor (MFFPA) is a free, seven-week, no-equity accelerator program based in Detroit, MI. This in-person program is designed for startups in Southeast Michigan that are led by underrepresented founders. The curriculum is driven by gener8tor’s global pre-accelerator gBETA.
Participating companies receive:
- Direct funding grants up to $15,000 for each founder
- Individualized coaching and mentorship from both teams of nationally renowned accelerator gener8tor and locally grounded Michigan Founders Fund on company growth and investor readiness
- Weekly “Lunch & Learns” and “Mentor Swarms”
- Investor and accelerator pitches
- $1M+ in deals and perks from vendors like IBM Cloud, Rackspace, Amazon, Paypal, Zendesk, Hubspot and Microsoft
- Ongoing post-program support, community involvement, and offerings from both gener8tor and Michigan Founders Fund
MFFPA’s goal is that graduates will be prepared to go on to participate in an investment accelerator or raise a seed round.
For further questions, learn more here or contact Program Manager Brittni at [email protected].
Application & Timeline
MFFPA is a free, seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity, but you will receive direct non-dilutive grants.
Timeline
Application is currently closed. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive information about future cohorts.
Investment Terms
No investment made during this program, however, direct operating grants will be provided for eligible company expenses.
Program Manager
Brittni Abiolu | [email protected]
Eligibility Criteria for Michigan Founders Fund
Pre-Accelerator
You’re Based in Southeast Michigan
Michigan Founders Fund Pre-Accelerator is an in-person pre-accelerator program for underrepresented founders of early-stage companies with local roots in Southeast Michigan.
Program Commitment
Program Commitment
You can commit to at least 85% of our programming, with the ideal being 100%. MFFPA requires at least 5-7 hours weekly of programming, not including the time founders dedicate to working on their businesses independently.
You’re an Underrepresented Founder (Industry Agnostic)
You’re an Underrepresented Founder (Industry Agnostic)
The MFFPA programming is open to all established startups from various industry verticals that are led by underrepresented founders in high-growth startups. We will use the federal and state-backed SEDI business qualification for our initial cohorts.
Coachability and Responsiveness
Coachability and Responsiveness
You’re coachable, open to feedback, and value multiple perspectives to make informed decisions for your business. You’re also responsive and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
Partnership
Together, gener8tor and the Michigan Founders Fund aim to bring economic diversity and job growth to Southeast Michigan and the broader region, ensuring that underrepresented founders receive the resources and support they need to succeed.
About Michigan Founders Fund
Michigan Founders Fund is the leading statewide network for high-growth founders and investors. Focused on building a thriving and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem through a founder-first culture, members represent a wide range of demographics and regions across the state. More than 150 members have collectively raised over $350 million of investment capital through 15 different industry verticals, while also committed to lifting local communities.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Michigan Founders Fund is composed of founder and investor members who are committed to supporting their communities.
About gener8tor
gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, workers, employers, artists, and musicians across race, place, and gender. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities, and nonprofits to operate accelerator programs and conferences in more than 45 communities across 25 states and territories and three countries.
gener8tor runs the gBETA program as a non-equity accelerator that facilitates the growth of early-stage companies through a network-driven program. Since launching in 2015, gBETA accelerator alumni have raised more than $776M in capital and created more than 4,700 jobs across the U.S. and internationally.
