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Most early-stage founders are working hard… but not moving forward in a way that creates proof. They build too much too early, chase too many customers at once, and pitch before the evidence is ready.
The Tech Derby Pre-Seed Accelerator is built to fix that. Each week forces one high-value decision, customer, demand, MVP, pilot, traction, growth, funding readiness, then Demo Day, so founders leave with a credible story backed by real work and real signals.
By Demo Day, each team leaves with a practical evidence portfolio, including:
Customer & problem clarity (ICP + validated problem statement)
Demand evidence (interview patterns + willingness to act/pay)
MVP discipline (a scoped product slice with success metrics)
Pilot traction (live pilot, onboarding, usage and feedback loop)
Commitment pipeline (LOIs, pilots, paid trials tracked)
Repeatable growth (one channel + KPI scoreboard + process)
Funding readiness (data room skeleton + use-of-funds milestones)
Investor-ready pitch (deck, memo, traction summary, follow-up tracker)
Customer, problem & fastest market entry
Outputs: ICP one-pager, problem statement, shortlist of 20 target customers/partners
Demand (will people actually buy?)
Outputs: interview summary, value proposition in customer language, evidence of willingness to act/pay
MVP clarity (what to build first)
Outputs: MVP scope, prototype/dev plan, 3 success metrics
Pilot readiness & early delivery
Outputs: pilot/beta launched, onboarding documented, feedback loop
Traction (turning interest into commitment)
Outputs: LOIs/pilot agreements/paid trials, pipeline tracker, next-step commitments
Growth (choose one repeatable route)
Outputs: one-channel plan, weekly KPI scoreboard, repeatable outreach/activation
Funding readiness & the funding stack
Outputs: funding tracker (grants + investors), readiness checklist, data room skeleton, use-of-funds plan
The ask & Demo Day execution
Outputs: investor deck + one-page memo, traction proof summary, post-demo follow-up tracker
Format: Weekly cohort sessions (in-person or hybrid): teaching + structured workshops + peer challenge rounds
Support: Experienced facilitators, domain mentors, peer accountability between sessions
Cohort Size: Intentionally small for direct mentor access and genuine peer challenge
Finale: Demo Day showcase to curated investors and partners with a clear ask and follow-up process
Title and work
Title and work
Title and work
You’ll need: a short venture description, stage/traction details, and your goals for the 8 weeks.
Expect one weekly session plus focused execution time to complete outputs. You’ll get clearer each week, not busier.
No. Idea, prototype, or early traction is fine, what matters is willingness to test, learn, and execute.
Tech Derby is rooted in Derby, but we welcome founders who can commit to the format and attend required sessions.
It is free
Coachability, clarity of problem, real effort toward evidence, and commitment to completing weekly outputs.
Tech Derby aims to build a local community of tech professionals where businesses and careers thrive, fostering idea-sharing and supporting career development and technological advancement.
Derby, United Kingdom
info@techderby.org
07933865081, 07466867906
