Fuse Arizona Mentor Guide
Welcome to the Fuse Accelerator Mentor Program
Fuse Accelerator is a program designed to equip participants with the necessary curriculum, connections, and capital to accelerate the growth of their startups.
A cornerstone of the Fuse Accelerator is our mentor program. We deeply appreciate your commitment to supporting these ambitious founders by sharing the knowledge and expertise you have acquired over many years. Each cohort lasts for eight weeks and provides an immersive, intensive experience for the participants. The guidance you offer—through mentorship, advice, active listening, and introductions—plays a pivotal role in their development.
As a mentor, you will be working with high-potential, emerging tech ventures while also broadening your own professional network. Many of our past mentors have continued to contribute to these ventures by taking on advisory or board member roles.
The Time Commitment
We value the time mentors dedicate to each Fuel cohort and aim to keep the commitment manageable. Mentors are asked to participate in one-half day of office hours, attend Fuel events (as outlined on the next page), and offer any additional support they choose to provide.
Office hours offer mentors and cohort companies an opportunity to engage in meaningful discovery. Companies are briefed on mentors' areas of expertise and are encouraged to ask targeted questions. In addition to general advice, we encourage mentors to provide insights on enterprise and mission partner-level customers, customer profiling, pricing, growth challenges, pitch feedback, and potential introductions.
Office Hours
Office hours are a time when mentors can meet with the cohort participants, get to know them, and give valuable insight and advice.
We ask that you schedule at least one session of office hours for each cohort. One office hour session is 4 hours within the Tuesday - Wednesday afternoon time slots. The cohort participants have the option to book 30-minute slots within that time. Scheduling options will be sent out once the cohort begins.
The goal for office hours is that the mentor gains a better understanding of the participant’s company and how they can help them moving forward. Often, the mentor and cohort participant make decisions on the next steps to continue their relationship outside of the structured office hours. For remote mentors, the Fuel team will coordinate connections and virtual office hours.
Key Events
Kick-Off
September 15th, 5-8pm
At this event, the cohort members and mentors will have the opportunity to meet and network. This is a great opportunity to welcome each participant and get an overview of what each company does.
Mentor Match
September 2nd, 5-8pm
This event is where mentors will be divided into small groups and get to meet with each cohort participant in a round-robin style. At this event, each mentor will be able to leave with a clear understanding of who they would like to work with throughout the cohort and provide valuable feedback for the startups.
Demo Day
November 5th, 5-10pm
Demo Day is the capstone event of the cohort. At this event, the cohort participants present their businesses to a crowd of peers, mentors, potential business connections, and investors. After eight weeks of intensive business development from both the participants and the mentors, this event is quite an accomplishment.
Program Benefits:
This program offers entrepreneurs an unmatched opportunity to work directly with technology experts in their field to develop a viable venture. Benefits include:
Revenue Growth Opportunities
We foster revenue growth by helping dual-use technology companies identify new markets and scale their innovations for both military and commercial sectors.
Customer Discovery
Through targeted outreach and market analysis, the program facilitates customer discovery, connecting companies with potential clients in both defense and commercial industries to refine product offerings and expand market reach.
Raise Capital
The program provides resources and access to investors, guiding participants through the fundraising process and helping them secure the capital needed to scale their technologies for wider application.
Events
The program organizes networking and matchmaking events, providing valuable opportunities for startups to showcase their technologies, build relationships, and gain insights from industry leaders in both sectors.
Training
Tailored training sessions within the program equip participants with critical knowledge and skills, helping them navigate the complexities of dual-use technologies, government contracting, and scaling in both commercial and military markets.
Marketing & Brand
By offering expert guidance in marketing strategies and brand positioning, the program enables companies to effectively communicate their value proposition to both military and commercial audiences, enhancing visibility and credibility across sectors.
Thank You To Our Sponsors
The Dual-Use Accelerator is funded by the Defense Innovation Unit, Southwest Mission Acceleration Center, and City of Phoenix to accelerate innovation and deliver critical technologies to those who need it most.
FAQs
-
Startups who are passionate about the problem they are solving, have raised capital and/or have revenue traction, and are willing to relocate for the duration of the program. We are NOT an idea stage accelerator or VC funding accelerator. We are an operational, revenue based accelerator.
-
There is no-cost and no-equity taken to participate. Startups are responsible for travel and accommodations. The program is sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit to foster innovation.
-
Startups must participate in-person. No exceptions will be made.
-
Fuse x DIU On-Ramp Hub Dual-Use Accelerator is based in Phoenix, AZ. Each company will be provided access to our office at the heart of downtown Phoenix.