Startup Accelerators, Incubators, and Pitch Competitions in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has more of these than most people think.
Accelerators, incubators, pitch competitions, and cohort programs, spread across Milwaukee, Madison, Northeast Wisconsin, and a good number of places in between.
The hard part was never that they don't exist. It's that they live on a dozen different university pages, chamber sites, and LinkedIn posts, and plenty of them close applications before you ever hear about them.
So we keep the list in one place and go through it every month.
Here's what's open right now.
Pitch events
Deadlines move fast on these and most only run once a year. If one is open, apply now and refine the deck after.
None available at this time.
Startup accelerators
Cohort programs with a defined start and end. Check the deadline before you fall in love with the program, since several of these open and close inside a few weeks.
Associated Bank Veterans Cohort by StartingBlock
Application Deadline: August 12th
Are you a veteran—or the spouse, partner, or child of one—ready to take your business idea seriously? Our 8-week business accelerator is built for people who already know how to operate under pressure. Now let's put that to work.
Who Should Apply?
Veterans and immediate family members of veterans with a business idea, an early-stage startup, or a clear sense that it's time to build something. Whether you're refining a concept or ready to launch, this program meets you where you are.
UW-Green Bay Investment Accelerator
Application Deadline: Sept 21, 2026
The UW-Green Bay Investment Accelerator powered by gener8tor invests in five high-growth startups per cohort, prioritizing founders advancing the future of Food & Beverage through technology, innovation, and scalable business solutions. Food & Beverage is a key focus, but the accelerator stays open to exceptional startups across all industries.
Accepted startups receive up to a $100,000 investment and join 12 weeks of intensive, mentorship-driven programming alongside experienced operators, investors, and industry leaders.
gener8tor is a nationally ranked accelerator that invests in high-growth startups and fuels their growth through a network of mentors, technologists, corporate partners, angel investors, and venture capitalists. The next cohort of five high-growth startups will begin in Spring 2027.
Founder Factory
Open Enrollment for 2026
Bring your own idea or start with a vetted technology, Founder Factory helps you build and launch a startup. This two-stage pre-accelerator provides structure, support, and up to $50K in funding to move you to investment readiness.
Level Set by StartingBlock
Open Enrollment for 2026
StartingBlock's Level Set program is an intense 6 week program designed to help you build and validate a business model. Offered 6x per year, we help you explore the pros and cons of different business models, model revenue and get real world feedback on your ideas.
gener8tor Madison Accelerator 2026
Application Deadline: TBD (Rolling Applications)
gener8tor Madison invests in six high-growth startups per cohort. This is an industry-agnostic and business model-agnostic program. We accept ALL types of startups across ALL industries and business models.
Incubators and early-stage programs
Earlier than an accelerator, and usually no clock. Good if you're still testing whether there's a business here.
Level Set by StartingBlock
Open Enrollment for 2026
StartingBlock's Level Set program is an intense 6 week program designed to help you build and validate a business model. Offered 6x per year, we help you explore the pros and cons of different business models, model revenue and get real world feedback on your ideas.
FOR-M 2025 Incubator by MKE Tech
Application Deadline: Rolling Applications
FOR-M is your first step to creating a tech startup company in Milwaukee. Solidify the startup idea that’s been bouncing around in your head and understand your next steps. This program is limited to 25 founders and will begin accepting folks immediately…so apply soon!
Know a program that should be here?
Send it to jacob@startupwi.org and it goes on the list. Same goes if you spot something on this page that's out of date, which happens more than I'd like.
And if you'd rather not check back every month, the newsletter carries the new deadlines as they open.
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