Huckletree, the workspace ecosystem for innovators in the UK and Ireland, has launched its ninth annual Alpha Accelerator. Now open for applications, and themed around Urban Futures, the 2022 programme is designed for innovators focusing on smart cities and urban innovation.

The 12-week, pre-seed programme which runs from April - June is open only to teams with at least one founding member from an underrepresented group working within its four pillars: Mobility and Transport, Smart Data, Environment and PropTech. 

Launched in 2017, the intensive programme prepares founders for seed funding with help from leading entrepreneurs and experts such as Justin Landsberger, Deliveroo’s Global Head of Business Development and renowned angel investor, Andy Davis. Participants will receive invaluable advice on their commercial and marketing strategies, hiring, leadership and more. The cohort also has weekly 1-1s with investors and group mentoring, culminating in a pitch to 60+ investors at the Alpha Investor Demo Day. 

To date, the Alpha Accelerator has seen eight cohorts and 50+ alumni businesses raise over £36m in funds. It is named in Crunchbase’s ‘100 Startup Accelerators’.

The Alpha Accelerator is 100% pro-bono and Huckletree takes no equity. Each Alpha company receives complimentary Huckletree membership for an entire year, enabling them to access its support long after the programme ends.

Gabriela Hersham, Co-founder of Huckletree, says: ‘We’re seeing the most exciting, more innovative pre-seed startups building the smart cities of tomorrow and Huckletree wants to elevate the next generation of underrepresented thinkers as they bring these ideas to life. Our cities are defining the future of our planet. What happens in the city doesn’t stay in the city and we must address the impact that urbanisation creates on a global scale. That’s why this accelerator is designed to help make our cities smarter and to create a more sustainable, more efficient urban future.’

Key Alpha grads include Easol, which raised £25m in December, HANX, Bombinate, Loveshark, Mammamade, and junee. 

junee, which provides reusable and returnable bowls to workplaces, has raised £250k since graduating in 2021. Its CEO, Caroline Williams, says: “Our time on the Alpha programme in 2021 was fundamental. We ran our pilot at Huckletree Shoreditch, which gave junee a real springboard. As a result of the programme, we have gone on to raise £250k in investment and £90k in grants. Without this investment, we would never have been able to scale the company from the two of us to a team of eight specialists. We would definitely recommend Alpha to founders looking to raise funds in 2022.”

Charlotte Horler, founder of Nula Carbon which helps businesses and individuals offset their carbon, says: Huckletree has an incredible network and during the accelerator, Ais and Sarah, the programme facilitators, were constantly connecting us with other founders and VCs that were open to have a chat. Whilst my product has pivoted considerably since April, when we started the programme, the conversations that Huckletree facilitated have played an instrumental part in our product development and I will always be incredibly grateful for that.

Innovative startups creating ground-breaking solutions in Urban Futures should apply now, applications close at midnight on the 27th of February.