Conquer Accelerator (Spartan Innovations)

Conquer Accelerator

Supports Michigan-connected startups through a full acceleration program with mentorship and milestone funding.

The Conquer Accelerator, operated by Spartan Innovations — a wholly owned subsidiary of the MSU Foundation — is a 10-week intensive business acceleration program that provides $20,000 in equity investment per selected startup through Red Cedar Ventures, the venture capital arm of the MSU Foundation. In addition to capital, participants receive structured mentorship, access to workspace in East Lansing, Grand Rapids, or Detroit, and introductions to an angel and institutional investor network. Since inception, the program has supported more than 80 startups, reports an approximately 80% survival rate among graduates, and participating companies have collectively raised more than $31 million in follow-on funding.

Eligibility targets for-profit early-stage technology startups; nonprofits, universities, and research organizations are not eligible. While the program has natural affinity for MSU faculty spinouts and student or alumni-founded ventures, formal eligibility is not strictly limited to the MSU community — Michigan-connected ventures may qualify. The $20,000 investment is dilutive equity from Red Cedar Ventures; ownership percentage terms are not published and must be confirmed directly with Spartan Innovations before accepting an offer. A dedicated variant, Conquer Detroit (launched December 2023), focuses specifically on medical and health technology startups in Southeast Michigan, developed in partnership with Henry Ford Health and MSU Health Sciences.

Cohort application windows and cycle dates are not published on a fixed schedule; prospective applicants should monitor msufoundation.org/conquer-accelerator/ for open application periods. Teams that enter with a working prototype, defined customer discovery, and founders with relevant domain credentials tend to be most competitive. The medtech track through Conquer Detroit is particularly relevant for health and life sciences startups in the Detroit metro area.