Anand Sukumaran
Startup Founder, Software Engineer, Abstract thinker
Co-founder & CTO @ Engagespot (Techstars NYC '24)
Techstars New York Spring 2024 Batch - Was it worth it?
Aug 17, 2024Can startup accelerators truly “accelerate” your growth? We recently had the chance to find out as part of Techstars New York Spring 2024 batch.
Having launched Engagespot nearly a year before joining Techstars, we’d been seeing steady, organic growth through SEO and early customer acquisition. But when KJ Singh and Christine Lu Hong asked us if we were ready to move to New York for the program, it felt like a dream come true, especially for us—founders based in India building a SaaS company in the US.
In addition to the $120K funding, The past three months’s growth have been transformative. We’ve been plugged into a vast network of mentors and alumni from standout companies like DigitalOcean and Veho.
It’s clear from our growth charts: our Google search impressions, signups, product usage, and revenues (which increased 5x) all surged during the accelerator period.
So, what drove this growth? Here’s what I believe:
- Direct entry into the US startup ecosystem.
- Access to an extensive network of mentors and alumni, including unicorns.
- Exposure to a new startup and business culture.
- Valuable referrals and introductions.
- Insightful feedback from peers and mentors.
So, yes, joining an accelerator did amazing things for us, especially the opportunity to be part of the NY startup community! Excited to return to New York later this year and continue building on this momentum!