Lair East Labs

Our Accelerator

Twice a year, we run a 10-week program in New York City with an investment of $50,000, mentorship, and workspace for promising startups. In each batch, participants will:

Learn directly from top founders and mentors with successful exit and fundraising experience.

Gain access to our mentor and investor network including their profound knowledge and extensive experience navigating the U.S. and Asia markets.

In the first three years of operation, our portfolio companies have raised $27 million after completing the accelerator program.

We are looking for

Founding teams with rich industry experience

Founders with international background and mindset

Early-stage companies

Disruptive technology solutions

Global market potential

Teams striving to create positive social impact

Founders benefit from

1:1 Coaching

Get coached by successful entrepreneurs, CEOs and startup founders.

Community & Alumni Network

Get continuous advice and support from our active alumni network.

Round Table ‘Expert’ Dinners

Learn from speakers who have started, raised and exited companies.

Mentorship & Workshops

Deep dive into subjects like growth hacking, storytelling and design at workshops given by our mentors.

Access to US, Asia & Beyond

Leverage our extensive international network with strong roots in the US and Asia.

Demo Day

Demo your product and pitch to a select, invite-only audience of angel, seed and VC investors.

Legal Setup & IP

Find legal assistance for company formation and IP setup and protection.

Fundraising & Growth

Get $50K from us and then let our venture partners help you negotiate valuation and financing terms in subsequent rounds.

At the end of the program, founders will have achieved product market fit and developed a robust business model ready to raise a Seed or Series A round.

Demo Days

We look for founders with an international mindset who run companies building disruptive technology solutions for the global market.

Learn more

We look for founders with an international mindset who run companies building disruptive technology solutions for the global market.

Learn more

FAQ

How much do you invest in each company and what are some of the benefits of the program?

$50,000 USD for each portfolio company
Legal assistance for company formation and IP protection
Incubator space available in New York for each team
Weekly speaker series and talks on launching, managing, and growing early-stage startups
Office hours with Lair East Labs management team and mentor network
Workshops by our partners
$350K+ of free hosting credits for major cloud providers, developer tools, product development platforms, and office space.

What does a regular day look like during the program?

Every day is a working day. There are no holidays. Every day that you are NOT working on your startup is a day lost. 2-3x a week there will be mandatory events for all the teams. These range from our mandatory roundtable dinner sessions, workshops, prototype days, and so on. You can utilize our co-working space or feel free to work wherever you feel most comfortable. All we ask is that you show up to our mandatory events.

Are you looking for companies at a particular stage?

We are looking for early-stage companies with passionate founders who have a clear vision for the future.

Do you require a certain number of founders? Do I need a technical co-founder?

No, on both counts. However, we do have a strong preference for two- to three-person teams, one of whom should be a strong technical co-founder.

Our startup is not based in the United States. Should we still apply?

Yes, you most certainly should!

Please note that we cannot provide visas, so they will be your responsibility if you’re accepted to the program.

What makes Lair East Labs different?

Cross-border Acceleration
Our extensive international connections make us a bridge between the US and Asia, giving founders access to large and rapidly developing markets.

Long Term Partnership
We are devoted partners looking to build fruitful and supportive relationships with founders beyond the accelerator program period.

Tailored Approach
We tailor our investors, mentors, and guidance specifically for every portfolio company. What matters most to us is that we help you create a positive and valuable societal impact.

“What stands out most to me is how truly supportive Lair East Labs has been. With them as partners, we have grown into a large and successful company. The fireside chats were particularly insightful. Speaking to truly qualified people who’d done it in the past was a great source of knowledge and inspiration.”
Samuel Matthews, Sinc

“From setting up impromptu meetings at 11pm and getting us tickets for Berkshire’s Annual meeting to sending one of their own (Thanks, Ruizhi!) on our week-long trip to China, LEL has been a true partner. The founders are well connected in the US and Asia and their program is ideal for startups – work during the day, meet with fellow founders in the evening.”
Yasser Boumenir, Prinsta

“Lair East Labs is truly your business partner, not just an investor. Together, we developed our go-to-market strategy and after the program finished we could still rely on an entire team helping to grow our business and raise additional investment. Very happy we were a part of the Lair East Labs program and we’d do it again if we could!”
Alexander Hejazi, BallBox

“They (Lair East labs) really personalize and create an intimate support framework for the founders. They are internationally focused, meaning that if you’re a startup that wants to scale globally, that’s one of the advantages of partnering with Lair East Labs. Their support is ongoing (and even beyond the accelerator program). Whether it’s from an investor perspective and mentorship perspective or networking with other portfolio companies to grow.”
Abdi Shayesteh, AltaClaro

Apply Now For our 10-week Accelerator Program.