Columbia Alumni Virtual Accelerator (CAVA)

About CAVA

The Columbia Alumni Virtual Accelerator (CAVA) is an industry-agnostic, no-fee and no equity virtual accelerator supported by Columbia Business School's Eugene M. Lang Entrepreneurship Center. CAVA’s mission is to enhance and enable early-stage CBS alumni startups across the globe through support and mentorship.

CAVA cohorts run quarterly for 12-week terms during which companies must participate in virtual meetings and workshops. These meetings foster a strong support network of peers as well as provide knowledge and resources to help take the cohort’s businesses to the next level. The term culminates in an invite-only, virtual demo day.

Visit our CAVA accelerator website for information on companies from past cohorts.

Important Dates

Cohort start date is Sept 2nd.

Eligibility

Applicants for CAVA must meet the following criteria:

Companies

Have at least one C-level alumnus or alumna from Columbia Business School. Non-CBS-affiliated team members may also participate in CAVA once the team is accepted.
Have a product or service in the marketplace accessible by users/stakeholders. Companies with products/services in beta may qualify.

Participants

Working full-time on their venture (suggested).
Able to participate in two 90-minute Zoom-based virtual meetings each week over a 12-week period, including a virtual Demo Day for investors.

Apply

The application period for the upcoming fall 2021 cohort has passed.