Space Florida Capital Accelerator Program

Space Florida Capital Accelerator — Pitch

Offers Florida aerospace and deep-tech startups mentoring and pitching opportunities through the Space Florida Capital Accelerator.

Eligibility · United States · US-FL

The Space Florida Capital Accelerator is a pitch competition programme for Florida-based aerospace, aviation, and emerging technology companies, operated in partnership with the Florida Venture Forum (flventure.org), a relationship formalised in November 2015. Companies pitch to committees of Florida venture capital investors across three stage tracks — Seed, Early, and Growth — with cash prizes awarded to winners in each category. The programme has facilitated more than $800 million in cumulative investment into participating companies through investor connections made at the events.

At the 2023 Aerospace and Emerging Technology Forum, the Grand Prize was $40,000 cash plus a $100,000 equity co-investment from DeepWork Capital, a Florida VC firm. Runner-up prizes were $30,000, $20,000, and $10,000. Four finalists were selected from more than 60 applicants, representing an approximately 7% finalist rate. Prize amounts may vary across annual events; the 2023 figures represent the most recently published results. The co-investment from DeepWork Capital was separate from the non-dilutive cash prize and represented an equity stake in the winning company.

Applications are submitted through the Florida Venture Forum, not directly through Space Florida. The programme does not publish formal eligibility criteria beyond a Florida aerospace and emerging technology focus. Events are held multiple times per year. Applicants should monitor flventure.org for upcoming event announcements and application windows, as specific deadlines are set per event. Early-stage Florida aerospace companies seeking both capital and investor introductions are the primary target applicants.