Stop spinning your wheels and start scaling your business with support from the NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic’s Andrew Launch Accelerator (ALA).

Funded through the NC State Acceleration fund — made possible with a generous $1,000,000 donation from Lyn and Chip Andrews — the ALA allocates equity-free seed capital to startups that complete the program.

The purpose of the accelerator is to give NC State founders the opportunity to jumpstart their entrepreneurial journey. This program provides funding, resources, mentorship and guidance to develop businesses over 12 weeks.

Starting in May, founders meet weekly with their cohort to explore and learn from a set of modules that will help them develop their venture. There are a variety of topics covered in these modules, such as customer discovery, market research and validation, financial and legal planning, pitching, launch strategy and more.

Each module is taught and coached by some of the Entrepreneurship Clinic’s top industry professionals with extensive experience across industries and growth stages. The modules also have deliverable-constrained requirements, helping ensure this is an experience that produces measurable results beyond just funding the venture.

Over the 3 months, the cohort companies will be assigned Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs) with experience directly relevant to the teams they are assigned to. These EIRs will meet frequently with the teams to provide direct coaching and advice tailored to each company’s specific needs.

At the conclusion of the summer accelerator program, the grant recipients will pitch their concepts and progress to industry and community leaders as well as investors during the ALA Demo Day — the largest event hosted by the NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic.

What does the program entail?

The Andrews Launch Accelerator offers grants that typically range from $5,000 to $10,000. The money is released in segments based on the completion of work in modules and the milestones the companies meet throughout the program.

Beyond the non-dilutive funding, program participants receive additional benefits, some of which are listed below:

• Support from local business services to support structure and function
• Access to banking relationships
• Access to relationships with angel investors and venture capitalist networks
• Dedicated venture-specific mentorship
• Access to NC State Entrepreneurship spaces
• Sponsored coworking membership to Raleigh Founded for 6 months
• Access to a talented ALA alumni network

Who can apply?

• Any startup founded or co-founded by a current NC State student (undergraduate or graduate) or a recent graduate (within five years) is eligible to apply. 
• Startup companies from ALL industries are welcome and encouraged to apply to the accelerator.

Get started now

The Andrews Launch Accelerator is a competitive program. We recommend exploring the application early and attending the ALA Launch Sessions to learn the basics of presenting and explaining your venture opportunity.

Applications for the Andrews Launch Accelerator are open from February 1 through March 31, 2026. Top finalist teams will move on to the second round in mid-April. The final cohort will be announced in early May.

The application can be found on the Entrepreneurship Clinic’s website.