Gold House Ventures Accelerator

Gold House is supporting and empowering industry-changing Asian and Pacific Islander (API) entrepreneurs. Through the Gold House Ventures start-up accelerator, Gold House provides emerging business leaders with an intensive 10-week program offering targeted masterclasses, 1:1 advising, and a community of API founders.

 

The Gold House Ventures Accelerator program runs biannually. Applications are currently closed for our Spring 2024 cohort, and we’ll start recruiting for our Fall 2024 class in August. Click the button below to join our priority list for the Fall 2024 GHV Accelerator Application!

Fall 2024 Interest Form

How It Works

Founders receive:

  • $250K investment via SAFE by Gold House Ventures, the definitive fund investing in API founders
  • Fundraising support
  • Masterclasses and workshops led by industry experts
  • 1:1 advising with a dedicated Advisor, plus office hours with subject matter experts
  • A tight-knit community of other API founders
  • In-person founder showcase

Fall 2023

  • Fall 2023
  • Spring 2023
  • Fall 2022
  • Spring 2022
  • Fall 2021
  • Spring 2021
  • Fall 2020
  • Spring 2020

Founders

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Advisors

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Aditi Maliwal

Partner. Upfront Ventures

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David Chen

Founder, Photoscale Capital

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Dominic Lau

Partner, Ripple Ventures

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Emily Zhen

Principal, Zeal Venture Partners

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Jason Chen

Partner, Contrary

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Linxin Wen

Co-founder & CEO, Chowbus

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Shawn Tsao

Co-Founder, Caviar

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Steven Hong

VP/GM, Ambarella

FAQ

  • We accept 8-10 companies per cohort, and at least one principal founder must identify as Asian and/or Pacific Islander.

  • All required programming is held virtually and available to founders based anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, though our in-person events & meetups will be held in the U.S.

  • Each selected company receives $250,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6% equity on a post-money Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE), the “GHV SAFE.”
    When your company is admitted to the accelerator, you’ll receive $250,000 up front and we enter into a participation agreement that includes guidelines around Gold House Ventures’ right to invest in future financing rounds.
    When your company raises its first priced round, the SAFE converts into preferred shares representing 6% of the company. Other investors in that round will purchase shares at the price per share of the preferred stock being sold in the round.

  • Over the 10 weeks, you’ll have access to a variety of community building and networking opportunities to meet other founders in your cohort. You’ll also be matched with at least one Advisor who you can meet with 1:1 weekly/bi-weekly. Throughout the program, we’ll host four deep dive sessions that are designed to increase your ability to build, scale, and fundraise. You’ll hear from subject matter experts and founders that are a few steps ahead as you deep dive into topics such as Brand (and how to articulate it), Fundraising (from pitch decks to term sheets), Company (how to approach product and growth hacking), and Leadership (how to manage the human aspect of being a founder). The program will culminate in a virtual demo day as well as an opportunity for the founders to showcase their products and services in-person to investors and the Gold House network.

  • For the Spring 2023 application cycle, there are two deadlines. You may submit at any time before 11:59PM PT February 22nd. The priority deadline is 11:59PM PT February 15th, and applicants who submit by February 15th will receive priority consideration. The Gold House Ventures team will be interviewing finalists on a rolling basis throughout March. Selected founders will be notified by the end of March.

  • Selected founders will be notified by the accelerator program leads after the Selection Committee has completed the voting process. Spring 2023 finalists will be interviewed on a rolling basis through March. The selected class will be notified by the end of March.

  • Our standard SAFE agreement can be found here. We invest $250,000 in exchange for 6% equity.

  • If you’ve raised on terms that differ from the GHV SAFE terms, we still encourage you to apply. If selected as a finalist, a member of our team will be available to discuss options for funding. Given the hands-on nature of our program, 1:1 time dedicated by our advisors, and long-term access to the Gold House network via Gold House Futures (a lifelong membership community that unites the next generation of top API entrepreneurs, creatives, and social impact leaders), we strive to meet our ownership threshold across all accelerator companies, and will find a way to work with you if there is mutual fit.

  • In order to be eligible to receive the $250,000 in seed investment, your company must be structured as a C Corp (rather than an LLC or S Corp). Companies that are currently operating as LLCs may apply, but if selected must convert to a C Corp in order to receive investment.

  • Approximately 2-3 hours per week. We like to think that the more you put in, the more you’ll get out of the program. In order to graduate and be eligible for Alumni benefits, we expect your participation in the majority of sessions and networking opportunities. Your active engagement with your advisor and other founders in your cohort is key to building the community that is core to the Gold House Ventures Accelerator experience.

  • Yes, founders are expected to commit full-time to their ventures by the start of the Gold House Venture Accelerator program.

    Ultimately, requiring founders to be full-time ensures that they are positioned to maximize their impact and fully capitalize on the resources and support offered through the accelerator program.

     

  • Yes, we do consider solo founders and you do not have to have a co-founder to apply for GHVA! In fact, some of the companies in our past cohorts have solo founders.

  • The application process for the accelerator will involve an initial screening phase, then, selected candidates will proceed to interview(s) with the Gold House Ventures team, providing an opportunity for further exploration of their qualifications and proposals.

    Selected founders will receive offers by the accelerator program leads after the Selection Committee has completed their final voting process.

  • Gold House’s accelerator program is currently prioritizing investment in tech-enabled consumer, enterprise, fintech, healthcare, and e-commerce businesses. Our focus on these sectors reflects our commitment to supporting innovative ventures that leverage technology to scale and create impact.

    If your business does not aligns with any of these sectors, we encourage you to explore other Gold House opportunities – such as grants, prizes, amplification, and referrals to other accelerators.

Apply Now

Applications are currently closed for the Gold House Ventures Accelerator. Check back for more information on the Fall 2024 cycle of GHVA applications.