23 Best Startup Accelerators & Incubators In Louisville [2024]

Updated: January 20th, 2022

Are you looking for an accelerator program in Louisville?

According to Biz Journals, Louisville is one of the best destinations in the USA for entrepreneurs and startups.

If you're starting a startup in Louisville, you might be wondering what startup accelerators or incubators exist in the area. Here's the full list:

Startup Accelerators & Business Incubators In Louisville

# Accelerator/Incubator Funding Location Apply
1 XLerate Health Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
2 Vogt Awards $25K Louisville Apply
3 Tech Louisville Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
4 Power to Prosper Minority Business Accelerator Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
5 Moonshine University Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
6 Chef Space Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
7 Amplify Louisville Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
8 Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
9 Score Louisville Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
10 Green Entrepreneur Program $17K Louisville Apply
11 LEAP Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
12 SBDC Kentucky Not Disclosed Lexington Apply
13 Rise Louisville Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
14 Women's Business Center of Kentucky Not Disclosed Lexington Apply
15 Louisville Forward Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
16 1 Million Cups Not Disclosed Kansas Ci... Apply
17 Health Enterprise Network Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
18 Louisville Startup Mentors Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
19 Startup Grind Not Disclosed Global Apply
20 Chrysalis Ventures Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
21 Render Capital $100K Louisville Apply
22 Scale Up Endeavour Not Disclosed Louisville Apply
23 Wild Accelerator $150K Louisville Apply

23 Best Startup Accelerators & Incubators In Louisville [2024]

1. XLerate Health

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: Healthcare Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: 12 Weeks

XLerate Health is a program that brings innovation to life by helping and supporting healthcare businesses in Louisville. They develop a refined business model, arrange investor funding, provide mentorship & education, and build business strategies for the success of healthcare companies. This program aims to support early-stage startups by helping them with customer creation, customer validation, and building a company.

Apply to XLerate Health, or learn more ➜

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2. Vogt Awards

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: Innovative Industries

  • Investment Size: $25K

  • Program Length: 10 Weeks

Vogt Awards program supports entrepreneurship in Louisville. Their 10-week program leverages mentorship, education & training programs, capital, and networking opportunities to accelerate the growth of companies. They strengthen the economic health of the industry by supporting innovative startups and ensuring success in the business.

Apply to Vogt Awards , or learn more ➜

3. Tech Louisville

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: Technology Industry

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: 90 Days

Tech Louisville is a program that helps entrepreneurs start a successful business in the niche of the technology industry and IT sector. They offer entrepreneurs training, mentorship, classes, and networking opportunities and make entrepreneurs career-ready.

Apply to Tech Louisville, or learn more ➜

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4. Power to Prosper Minority Business Accelerator

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: Minority Businesses

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

Power to Prosper is a Minority Business Accelerator program powered by Interise to help entrepreneurs establish small businesses through cohort programs. They provide entrepreneurs with strategic business planning, business development strategies, financial management, marketing, sales, human resources, access to capital, and networking opportunities.

Apply to Power to Prosper Minority Business Accelerator, or learn more ➜

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5. Moonshine University

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: Distillation Industry

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: 6 Days

Moonshine University hosts a Distillation program where they help and guide entrepreneurs of the distillation industry. This program offers technical training, business management education, on-site consulting, product development, and networking opportunities with the best distilleries to the startups.

Apply to Moonshine University, or learn more ➜

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6. Chef Space

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: Kitchen Industry

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

Chef Space is a kitchen incubator program and a food business accelerator that provides commercial kitchen space and business training to entrepreneurs and helps them start food-related ventures. This program also offers access to capital, technical assistance, networking opportunities, and event space to the food entrepreneurs.

Apply to Chef Space, or learn more ➜

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7. Amplify Louisville

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

Amplify Louisville is a program run by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. This program allows founders and startups to create their ideas, build solutions, and launch new and innovative products and services. They have an experienced team of mentors and investors that provide guidance and capital to the entrepreneurs.

Apply to Amplify Louisville, or learn more ➜

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8. Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: 10 Weeks

Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship, hosted by the University of Louisville, is a program that helps entrepreneurs grow, build, expand, create, innovate, and develop businesses across numerous industries. They have an experienced team of mentors and industry experts that provide training and knowledge to early-stage startup businesses.

Apply to Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship, or learn more ➜

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9. Score Louisville

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

Score Louisville program has the largest network of experienced business mentors and resources. The participants can browse through the profiles of all the mentors and select the right mentor for themselves. The mentors of this program help entrepreneurs reach their goals, fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams, open new markets, and reach new customers.

Apply to Score Louisville, or learn more ➜

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10. Green Entrepreneur Program

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: Green Industry

  • Investment Size: $17K

  • Program Length: 8 Weeks

Green Entrepreneur Program provides training, guidance, and work experience to entrepreneurs. This 8-week program helps student-entrepreneurs aged between 18-24 establish a low-risk small business in the niche of the green industry. They also offer mentorship and skills necessary to create and operate a green business in the industry.

Apply to Green Entrepreneur Program, or learn more ➜

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11. LEAP

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: Healthcare Innovation Industry

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

LEAP or Louisville Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program helps healthcare businesses in Louisville thrive in the industry. This program offers various resources, networking events, education, mentorship, and tailored curriculum to the startups of all stages.

Apply to LEAP, or learn more ➜

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12. SBDC Kentucky

  • Location: Lexington

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

SBDC Kentucky is an incubator program that helps entrepreneurs build, start, and grow their businesses. They provide participants with various business resources, training, coaching, planning strategies, and management & marketing solutions necessary for running a successful business.

Apply to SBDC Kentucky, or learn more ➜

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13. Rise Louisville

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: 10 Weeks

Rise Louisville hosts programs to support entrepreneurs through education and mentorship. This 10-week program also provides participants with capital, support, innovative business approaches, professional knowledge, skills, and networking opportunities with professionals necessary to grow a thriving business.

Apply to Rise Louisville, or learn more ➜

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14. Women's Business Center of Kentucky

  • Location: Lexington

  • Industry: Art Businesses

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

Art Inc. is an incubator program that helps creative artists to build and grow their businesses in the market. This program supports entrepreneurs and provides them with one-on-one business consultation services, training, resources & tools, access to events, and sales-generating & marketing opportunities.

Apply to Women's Business Center of Kentucky, or learn more ➜

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15. Louisville Forward

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

Louisville Forward, hosted by the government, is a program that supports and empowers local entrepreneurs. They help small businesses to grow in the industry by offering them strategies to succeed, resources, incentives & finance, networking, and job-creating opportunities.

Apply to Louisville Forward, or learn more ➜

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16. 1 Million Cups

  • Location: Kansas City, Sacramento, San Antonio

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program: Not Disclosed

1 Million Cups was founded in the year 2012 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. This nationwide program supports entrepreneurial ecosystems. They educate, guide, engage, assist, and connect entrepreneurs with the industry's corporate and business communities. Its mission is to fulfill people's entrepreneurial dreams and help them bring their business ideas into reality.

Apply to 1 Million Cups, or learn more ➜

17. Health Enterprise Network

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: Health Industry

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

Health Enterprise Network is a program that helps healthcare businesses to grow and succeed in the industry. They connect healthcare entrepreneurs with mentors, industry experts, and potential investors, solve their business issues and removes barriers, and helps them to move forward in the industry.

Apply to Health Enterprise Network, or learn more ➜

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18. Louisville Startup Mentors

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

Louisville Startup Mentors program leverages experience and helps entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level. They have an experienced team of mentors, subject matter experts, and industry leaders who help and guide entrepreneurs with market validation, funding, business operations, finance, marketing, accounting, development, and much more necessary to succeed.

Apply to Louisville Startup Mentors, or learn more ➜

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19. Startup Grind

  • Location: Global
  • Industry: All Industries
  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed
  • Program: Not Disclosed
  • Equity Taken: No Equity Taken

Startup Grind is an accelerator program that connects startup networks across the world. They offer aid to student entrepreneurs, early-stage business startups, and partners through mentorship, education, and a network of world-class experts. They provide startups with the best hands-on experiences and inspire them to learn and build successful startup business firms.

Apply to Startup Grind, or learn more ➜

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20. Chrysalis Ventures

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

Chrysalis Ventures offers a program to help entrepreneurs build great businesses through collaboration and technology. This program has a powerful network that provides entrepreneurs with market knowledge, resources, hands-on partnership, technological expertise, capital, advice, and financial management essential for growth in the industry.

Apply to Chrysalis Ventures, or learn more ➜

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21. Render Capital

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: $100K

  • Program Length: Not Disclosed

Render Capital is a program that focuses on building an enduring entrepreneurial ecosystem in Greater Louisville. This program provides tailored support and capital & funding to the participants. They encourage the growth of the business by offering them guidance from industry experts and established entrepreneurs.

Apply to Render Capital, or learn more ➜

22. Scale Up Endeavour

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: All Industries

  • Investment Size: Not Disclosed

  • Program Length: 5 Months

Scale Up Endeavour program supports high-growth businesses in the industry. Their 8-month growth accelerator program provides founders with resources, mentorship, financial insight, workshops for product-market fit, business strategies, and networking opportunities essential to reach the next level in the industry.

Apply to Scale Up Endeavour, or learn more ➜

23. Wild Accelerator

  • Location: Louisville

  • Industry: Women Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs of Color, and LGBTQ Founders.

  • Investment Size: $150K

  • Program Length: 10 Weeks

Wild Accelerator is a startup initiative program that focuses on helping idea-stage and early-stage women-led businesses, entrepreneurs of color, and LGBT founders. This program provides female entrepreneurs with capital, investments, 1-on-1 meetings, workshops, mentorship from experts, prototype, go-to-market strategy, and co-working space. They also offer guidance in technology issues, business finance, management, branding, and development to the participants.

Apply to Wild Accelerator, or learn more ➜

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meet the author
Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.