Who should apply?

SEISMIC is open to entrepreneurs and researchers working on technologies related to national security and are either currently attending, are recent alumni of, or are currently employed by a Minority Serving Institution. The program has been fundamentally organized to support students, alumni, and faculty of these institutions developing advanced technologies to discover viable pathways to secure grant and investment funding for their technologies, and become a self-sustaining, scalable business.

While much of the content of this program will be broadly applicable to many entrepreneurs developing aerospace and defense-related technologies, the program itself is oriented to address several hurdles that MSI entrepreneurs and researchers may have encountered with regard to underfunded (or non-existent) institution-organized research programs, institutional technology-transfer offices, and business management and entrepreneurship programs.​

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To check if your institution is an eligible MSI, please refer to NASA's 2023-2024 List of Minority Serving Institutions

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Those who are unsure if they meet this qualification may Contact Us for questions and clarification.

 

What if I miss the application deadline?

The deadline to apply for the inaugural cohort of SEISMIC is 11:59pm PT on February 16th, 2025. We expect SEISMIC to be an annual program, so if you are unable to apply this year, know that there will be future cohorts. We want everyone to have an equal opportunity to compete, and so we do not usually accept late applications; however, if you believe an exception should be made due to extenuating circumstances, please Contact Us

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What is the accelerator program schedule?

The details of the program are only shared with accepted applicants, but the 6-week schedule is composed of a mix of live and pre-recorded lectures, workshops, and one-on-one's with the SEISMIC team and mentors. We know that you have a company to run, and we want you to take advantage of all the opportunities to meet with the industry leaders and experts who mentor with us, so lectures and workshops are limited to less than five hours per week. 

 

Is the program virtual or in-person?

The accelerator program will be virtual, with a tentatively scheduled in-person Demo Day and networking event, likely during the final week of the program. We will inform program participants of opportunities for in-person networking during and post-program.

 

How many companies will be accepted into the program?

We will work individually with each company that will join the program, so we keep cohorts small. We typically invite 6-8 companies to join each cohort.

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Do I need to pay a fee to join SEISMIC?

The SEISMIC program does not charge service or participation fees to participating startups.

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Will selected applicants receive grants or investment?

SEISMIC is not awarding research grants or investment funds. Companies are encouraged to participate in competitive solicitations for funding by local, state, and US federal government agencies, as appropriate. SEISMIC program managers may on occasion provide high-level directional guidance for founders with no previous proposal writing experience.

 

Neither Starburst, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, nor any other SEISMIC partner in any way guarantee investment, grants, awards, loans or any type of funding to cohort participants.

 

What makes the SEISMIC program unique?

A key challenge to building an inclusive R&D Ecosystem, or commercial ecosystem of any kind, is that resources, networks, and expertise have a self-reinforcing tendency to attract and retain one another into a single area and inherently inhibiting other similar ecosystems from forming elsewhere—a force that is often amplified by pre-existing inequities that are present in underrepresented and underfunded communities.

 

Advances in communications, supply chains, and strategically distributed investments are enabling previously exclusive, region-locked ecosystems to become more inclusive and extend their “borders” to include entrepreneurs and their businesses wherever they may be found—provided enabling pathways to do so.

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SEISMIC's value proposition is that it will facilitate growth-enabling connections between minority-owned and founded businesses and the rest of the A&D ecosystem. The true advantage of the SEISMIC program is its ties to all stakeholders in A&D and MSI communities via the partnership between Starburst, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, University of Central Florida, DEVCOM ARL, DIU, NRO CSPO, and, hopefully, many others to come.​

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I have never considered defense or national security as a potential market for my company, but I have a solution that may be relevant to the program, should I still apply? 

Yes! SEISMIC is designed to support MSI entrepreneurs, founders and innovators working on any technology relevant to US national security needs, not just those that were originally designed for defense applications.

 

What do you look for in mentors?

Startups need accountants and recruiters as well as engineers and scientists. We are looking for defense industry leaders with proven success, innovators and builders who have brought new concepts from design to market, investors who understand the intricacies of developing cutting edge technologies, professors and professional service providers who want to give back and support our community. Good mentors are passionate about what they know, curious about what they don’t know, altruistic, optimistic, and willing to share their network with and open doors for the entrepreneurs they support.

 

Who can I contact for further questions regarding application submissions and/or general questions?
For any additional questions you have that cannot be found here, please Contact Us. To stay up to date on SEISMIC and other Starburst accelerators and events, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn.