News & Press Releases

HubSpot and General Catalyst Launch ELEVATE, a Virtual Accelerator for Growing Startups

Published on June 3, 2019

HubSpot, a leading growth platform, and General Catalyst, a venture capital firm that makes early-stage and transformational investments, today announced ELEVATE, a virtual accelerator to teach startups the basics of inbound marketing and how to create an effective growth strategy.

VC funding reached $99.5 billion in 2018, demonstrating that investors are taking risks. It’s never been easier to start a company with the tools and resources available to startups, but there also has never been more competition. ELEVATE is designed to help early-stage companies expand their skill set and learn strategies to help position them for long-term success as they look to raise funds and scale. The program is comprised of four weeks of virtual classes taught by a wide range of experts, including Alison Elworthy, VP of customer success at HubSpot; Niko Bonatsos, managing director, General Catalyst; Tolithia Kornweibel, Chief Marketing Officer, Gusto; Nitesh Banta, co-founder and CEO, B12; Meka Asonye, head of startup sales & customer success, Stripe; and Manasi Vartak, founder and CEO,  Verta.AI, a HubSpot accelerator alumna.

“HubSpot would not be where it is today were it not for the guidance and support of our early advisors and investors,” said Dharmesh Shah, CTO and co-founder of HubSpot. “With ELEVATE, we’re going beyond providing capital to give these growing startups the knowledge and tools they need to succeed. I’m excited to team up with some of the best and brightest to give back to the next generation of growing companies.”

The four-week program begins on June 4, 2019, and covers the three stages of the customer lifecycle: attract, engage, delight.  During the final week, participants will complete a fundraising master class led by General Catalyst and portfolio founders. After completion of the accelerator program, US-based startups that are actively looking to raise capital will have the opportunity to pitch for investment funding at HubSpot’s annual INBOUND event, held on September 3, 2019, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston.

“We are beyond thrilled to partner with HubSpot to offer ELEVATE to fast growing tech startups,” said Niko Bonatsos, managing director, General Catalyst. “As early investors in HubSpot, we were able to watch the company’s spectacular growth firsthand. The team at HubSpot will bring invaluable insights about how to grow a business while placing the customer front and center. I look forward to seeing these ambitious founders grow as a result of what they learn from the program.”

HubSpot for Startups offers education and training, 24/7 support, the HubSpot Growth Platform, and access to nearly 300 software integrations — all at a startup-friendly price. Startups can manage contacts in HubSpot's free (forever) CRM, sell better through HubSpot's robust suite of sales tools, manage all marketing through the full suite of marketing automation tools, and close the loop with customers with services tools.

ELEVATE is a virtual program available free of cost. To learn more about the program and register, please visit: https://offers.hubspot.com/startups/elevate.