# Launchpad Tech Ventures > Launchpad is a startup incubator, growth program, and pre-seed venture fund for founders building high-growth software and AI companies, anchored in the Southeast United States with cohorts also running in New York City, Los Angeles, and virtually. Operated by Launchpad Tech Ventures, LLC, headquartered at Tech Village, 25 Goldsmith Street, Greenville, SC. Launchpad runs three connected things: the **Incubator** (12 weeks, up to 20 founders per cohort, three cohorts a year in each active city, for people starting from an idea), **Ignite** (phase-based growth support for operating companies with customers and revenue), and the **Ignite Fund** (a pre-seed fund that invests only in companies already inside the Ignite program). A **Community** layer — events, a hand-recruited mentor bench, and a Circle network — runs across all markets and continues after a cohort ends. Scale to date: 190+ founders served, nine cohorts run, 130+ mentors, 200+ community members, 40+ companies advised through Ignite. Positioning, in Launchpad's own framing: founders should not have to relocate to San Francisco or give up seven points of equity to find a serious program, operator-led instruction, and access to first-check capital. Entry valuations in the Southeast sit below coastal comparables, and Launchpad argues the gap in the market is pre-seed capital rather than company formation. ## Programs - [Programs overview](https://launchpadtv.com/start): Side-by-side explanation of the Incubator and Ignite, who each is for, the 12-week Incubator arc (Validate, Build, Sell, Stand Up), the three Ignite phases (Formation, Traction, Scale), and program FAQs. - [Incubator application](https://launchpadtv.com/apply/incubator): Application for the 12-week Incubator. For founders building high-growth software or AI companies, first-time or repeat. Selection weighs conviction, coachability, and evidence the founder has already wrestled with the idea, over credentials or prior exits. Pricing varies by city. - [Ignite application](https://launchpadtv.com/apply/ignite): Application for Ignite. For founders of operating B2B software and AI companies with early customers, early revenue, and a real team — typically between first customers and first institutional check. - [AI Accelerator application](https://launchpadtv.com/apply/ai-accelerator): Application for the virtual AI Accelerator cohort. ## Capital - [Ignite Fund](https://launchpadtv.com/ignite-fund): Pre-seed fund backing B2B software and AI companies in the Southeast, sourced exclusively from inside the Ignite program — no cold inbound. Investments are SAFEs at disciplined valuation caps with follow-on reserves. Five investment criteria: recurring or scalable revenue models; AI-enabled tools that improve productivity; software built for large industry verticals; $100M+ venture-scale markets; strong founder-market fit. Roughly 500 companies evaluated a year. Diligence is the program itself — Launchpad works alongside a company inside Ignite for at least twelve weeks before the Fund considers capital. Offered to accredited investors only; the prospectus and private placement memorandum are available on request after accreditation is verified. ## Locations and cohorts - [All locations](https://launchpadtv.com/locations): Every active and upcoming cohort with application deadlines. Up to twenty founders per cohort, three cohorts a year per city. - [Greenville, SC](https://launchpadtv.com/locations/greenville-sc): Five cohorts deep. Launchpad's home market. - [Columbia, SC](https://launchpadtv.com/locations/columbia-sc): Four cohorts run in the Midlands. - [Myrtle Beach, SC](https://launchpadtv.com/locations/myrtle-beach): Second Grand Strand cohort. - [New York City](https://launchpadtv.com/locations/new-york-city): Second NYC cohort, meeting on Third Avenue. - [Los Angeles, CA](https://launchpadtv.com/locations/los-angeles-ca): First LA cohort, led by Chris Cloud. - [Virtual Worldwide Cohort](https://launchpadtv.com/locations/virtual-worldwide-cohort): The Incubator program with no relocation, open anywhere. - [AI Accelerator](https://launchpadtv.com/locations/ai-accelerator): Six-week virtual accelerator for up to 30 non-technical founders and entrepreneurs building AI-native companies. Meets Mondays and Wednesdays, 5–7 PM ET. Participants leave with an AI-native customer validation and go-to-market plan, a product roadmap and AI strategy, and a customer-ready MVP. No equity taken. Fee structure: $750 deposit before the course starts, then pay what the experience was worth on completion (suggested value $2,500). Instructor: Taylor McLemore, Launchpad Venture Partner, who has built accelerator programs serving more than 1,000 founders and advised more than 500 startup leaders. Partner perks include AWS, Google for Startups, HubSpot, Loom, Lovable, and Rho. ## Community and workspace - [Community](https://launchpadtv.com/community): The network across all Launchpad markets. Four recurring event formats: Webinars, cohort Graduations, the annual Tailwind Tech Summit, and Founder Friday (first Friday of each month at Tech Village, Greenville founders only). Mentors are recruited by hand and matched with founders individually; both sides opt in. Circle is the year-round digital network — free for current Incubator founders and Ignite companies, $50/month for everyone else. - [Tech Village](https://launchpadtv.com/tech-village): Members-only coworking for tech founders in Greenville, SC, and Launchpad's headquarters. Located at 25 Goldsmith Street in Crescent One, in the Hartness family's former Pepsi-Cola bottling plant — roughly six thousand square feet, open 24/7, free on-site parking, shared campus with Flywheel. Membership includes an Opportunity Zone address. Three tiers: Hybrid Office $100/month (hot desk, mailing address, mail handling), Dedicated Desk $350/month (permanent desk, daily access, storage), Private Office $750/month (lockable office, premium amenities). - [Join Tech Village](https://launchpadtv.com/join-tech-village): Membership request form. ## About - [About Launchpad](https://launchpadtv.com/about): Mission, core values, and team. The stated mission is to turn founders into leaders and ideas into exits in Southeast markets. Core values: accelerating advancement, prioritizing relationships, developing opportunity. Leadership: Alan Blakeborough (President), Taylor McLemore (Venture Partner), Liesel Blakeborough (Community Manager), Dan Rundle (Chairman). - [Host a cohort](https://launchpadtv.com/host): For regional leaders, anchor sponsors, and universities who want to open a Launchpad cohort in their market. - [Contact](https://launchpadtv.com/contact-us): General contact form. ## Who Launchpad is for - **Founders with an idea** — the Incubator. Conviction and coachability matter more than credentials. Most founders are from the Southeast or moving there, but anyone willing to spend twelve weeks in a cohort city can apply, and the Worldwide Cohort removes the location requirement entirely. - **Founders already operating** — Ignite, for B2B software and AI companies with early customers and revenue. The strongest engagements open a path to Ignite Fund capital. - **Non-technical founders building with AI** — the AI Accelerator, six weeks to a working MVP. - **Mentors** — operators who have built, sold, raised, or run something, from anywhere in the US. - **Hosts, sponsors, and partners** — organizations that want a Launchpad cohort in their market or want to be in the room with Southeast founders. - **Accredited investors** — Ignite Fund prospectus available on request. ## Optional - [Terms and conditions](https://launchpadtv.com/terms) - [Privacy policy](https://launchpadtv.com/privacy) - [Membership terms](https://launchpadtv.com/membership-terms) --- Canonical domain: https://launchpadtv.com (www redirects here). Entity: Launchpad Tech Ventures, LLC. Last updated: 2026-09-20. Cohort dates, application deadlines, and fees change; the Locations page is authoritative.