Chinaccelerator

Inside Chinaccelerator: Crossing the Border

On the occasion of Chinaccelerator’s 10-year anniversary, we take a look back at our humble beginnings and everything that has led us to today. Join us as we take you on a journey of a decade full of successes and failures, countless innovations, and relentless hard work.

ABOUT CHINACCELERATOR

Chinaccelerator, the first startup accelerator to launch in China, is a mentorship-driven program helping internet startups from around the world cross borders – from the world into China and from China to the world. It is operated by the venture fund SOSV with $740M+ AUM operating six global accelerators. Chinaccelerator offers three months of rigorous guidance, training, and resources from mentors, partners, and investors. The robust and supportive alumni network continues beyond the Chinaccelerator program.

We are your best choice to break into the Chinese market and build your business with a global mindset.

BENEFITS

INVESTMENT

$150,000 Investment
Our fund SOSV takes 6% common equity for the accelerator program through a Stock Purchase Agreement (SPA). At the same time but separately we invest through a convertible instrument called an Accelerator Contract for Equity (ACE) similar to a SAFE. Of this US$100,000, US$45,000 is attributed to the cost of the program and the remaining US$55,000 is cash investment. Most companies will qualify for an additional US $50,000 from Chinaccelerator’s syndicate partner.

*Companies domiciled in the People’s Republic of China may not be eligible for cash investment from Chinaccelerator’s syndicate partner.

SPACE

We provide free co-working space during the 6-month program at People Squared near Jing’an Temple, the heart of Shanghai. People Squared is one of China’s first and largest co-working space. People Squared has spaces in Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities.

PROGRAM

3+3 Months program
The program is divided into 3-month growth phase and 3-month fundraising phase based on the different focuses.
During the growth phase, Chinaccelerator sets up OKRs with startups and have weekly check-ins to discuss company strategy, experiments, and growth tactics. On daily basis, startups interact with mentors, Expert In Residence and Chinaccelerator team. We host Demo Day with 150+ investors before we enter the fundraising phase, when Chinaccelerator actively works with startups on investments from outside investors.

PERKS

Every startup, past and present, has access to perks valued at $2,160,000. This access is provided through the Global Accelerator Network, SOSV Community, or directly negotiated by the Chinaccelerator team. We also organize weekly workshops.

MENTORSHIP

1-1 support from 300 + mentors
With over 300 mentors across China, South East Asia, the US, and Europe, our network has a global reach comprised of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, serial entrepreneurs, and senior corporate heads..During and after the program, our mentors provide valuable insights for startups, ultimately saving them time and money. Chinaccelerator also has 8 Experts-in-Residence (EIRs) that provide deep expertise in key fields: growth hacking, product, team management, strategic positioning, branding, financial modeling, accounting, and fundraising.

COMMUNITY

Backed by the most active early-stage investor SOSV, Chinaccelerator has built a strong global startup community. We make it possible for early-stage startups and founders to get the best benefits from a robust, supportive, and worldwide alumni network.

ELIGIBILITY

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR IN STARTUPS?

Chinaccelerator focuses on the internet sector, but we are industry agnostic. Our investment areas include but are not limited to, e-commerce, fintech, data marketing, edtech, healthcare, and entertainment. We tend to invest during the Angel/Seed round or Pre-A round, with fewer investments in Series A and later stages.

We believe in data and real market feedback, so we require a viable product with a certain number of users and clients to apply for our program.

A big focus of our selection process is the team behind the company. Anyone can find a problem. Other entrepreneurs are probably working on the same solution as you. But not every team has the capability to effectively implement a solution. We expect that founders should respect the importance of the process and not only focus on results. We look for people who will not be discouraged when faced with challenges but perceive them as valuable experiences.

In short, we are looking not only for the best solutions but also for the best entrepreneurs.

APPLICATION PROCESS

If your company passes the first round of screening, we will contact you for further interviews and meetings and move to the decision stage.

Chinaccelerator accepts 2 batches every year, with 10-15 investments per batch. The acceptance rate is less than 2%!

We will not accept you if we feel that our investment and accelerator program are not the best fit for your company at the current stage. However, we do encourage you to stay within our community and participate in our events.

Try answering these questions to determine if you are ready for the program.

If you have any questions, please contact cateam@chinaccelerator.com, or add SOSV WeChat Helper (WeChat ID: sosvhero) on WeChat, and we will reply as soon as we can.

ACCELERATION PROGRAM

Our in-house expertise takes the Lean Startup method and adopts a data-driven approach to help the startup to accomplish market entry.

In a six-month program, we help startup find product-market fit, obtain users, and monetize in the context of China and Asia.

Program Timeline

PHASE 0 – Onboarding: get ready to rock from Day 1
PHASE 1 – Adjust product and market fit through rapid iteration
PHASE 2 – User acquisition through AB testing across multiple channels
PHASE 3 – Build traction and prepare for demo day and fundraising
PHASE 4 + – Continuous support on fundraising and access to an alumni network of 680 startups worldwide

Chinaccelerator