When you apply above, you’ll be directed to an online application where you’ll be asked to share more about your team, your product / solution, and the problem you are solving.

Companies selected for an initial interview will be contacted by one of the SSC Partners. Teams that make it to the final round of interviews will do a 30 minute pitch with Q&A to the SSC team. Out of the finalists, we typically select 3-5 companies each summer.

Orientation for the 2026 SSC Summer Accelerator will be in Boston in early June and we anticipate that the program’s Demo Day will take place during the first week of September. Demo Day dates will be finalized pending availability and schedules of all accepted members of the cohort.

The accelerator is designed for startup teams building high-growth businesses in the US with at least one Boston College-affiliated founder (BC student, alum, or faculty). We are industry and sector-agnostic. We value founders that demonstrate initiative, adaptability, resilience, and self-awareness. Diversity of perspective and lived experience are also valued.

You will likely get the most out of the accelerator program if you’re a first-time founder who has been working on their business for at least a few months (ideally, six months or more).

That said, founders of all experience levels have applied to the program and found value in the experience. A few founders have even elected to participate in the accelerator multiple years in a row!

Yes! Students from any Boston College school (associate, undergraduate, and graduate programs) are encouraged to apply. We take at least one student team every summer.

The program is hybrid, therefore, your company does not need to be based in Boston this summer. Teams are required to come to Boston for three events over the course of the program: Orientation (early June), mid-summer Founder’s Day (July), and Demo Day (first week of September). We also encourage founders to take advantage of opportunities to meet mentors / fellow cohort members / other SSC founders irl as often as possible throughout the summer!

No. If you’re in the early stages of exploring a startup idea and would like to apply, we welcome your application. 

However, once the program begins, founders are expected to be fully focused on the accelerator and building their startup full-time for the course of the summer.

To ensure that each participant gets most they can out of the accelerator and in an effort to be respectful of the experience of other cohort members, candidates employed in another job or participating in a summer internship unfortunately do not qualify.

Ultimately, during the program, your main focus will be building your company so you will control the majority of your time every day. Expect 4-6 hours a week to be spent in meetings / calls related to SSC programming.

Some days you will have SSC mentor meetings for 45 minutes. Some days you may meet with a Venture Partner for a weekly check in on your top challenges and questions. Some days the whole cohort will get together for a 2-hour fireside chat with a serial entrepreneur. Some days we will all join a workshop on making your first hire.

This is a self-driven program, so it will be up to you to make the most of your time and opportunities – what you put in is what you get out!

Yes. All accelerator companies in the accelerator program receive a $20k  investment from SSC Venture Partners, which translates to 2% equity (via a $1M post-money SAFE note). We take this commitment seriously, and will be invested in your future success as a business going forward.

Accelerator companies are eligible for follow-on investment from SSC’s venture funds in the future as well. As of Q4 2025, SSC has invested $1.3M in follow-on capital into companies that have completed the summer accelerator. 

Please note, follow-on investments are not guaranteed and are made at the sole discretion of SSC’s General Partners.

The accelerator program is run by the SSC Venture Partners team. You can learn more about us here. We are BC alumni who are startup founders, serial entrepreneurs, and investors. 

The common thread that unites us is our passion for supporting Boston College entrepreneurs. We want to see more successful founders and startups come out of the BC community.

Great! We love referrals. Please share the application with them and encourage them to complete it.