Alaska Startups

Upstart Alpha is a statewide program providing early-stage entrepreneurs with the resources and connections to grow an idea into a business. Participants learn how to test their ideas, find their best customers, meet investors, and more!

Program by the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development.

gBETA is a free seven-week program. Up to five companies from a range of verticals are selected from a competitive applicant pool to participate.

Program by gener8tor.

The Alaska Angel Conference (AAC) increases the number of angel investors in our statewide startup ecosystem by pairing experienced angel investors with novice investors and leading them through a structured 12-week process of identifying, filtering, selecting, and managing a group angel investment. In the process, the organizers help nurture the companies and mentor the founders who apply for funding and award a $100k+ investment into one of the startups that apply.

Alaska's original idea competition, the Arctic Innovation Competition, is open to innovators of all ages and awards over $45,000 in cash prizes and Alaska 529 educational savings plans. Submissions open annually each fall with the final competition in April.

Learn more at their website: www.uaf.edu/aic.

Sultana is a fiscal sponsorship program to support groups and projects in the preliminary stages of their nonprofit development, offers opportunities to incubate ideas, employ staff, and provides the stability that funders need to make initial investments.

Program by The Foraker Group.

Alaska Federal And State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program is a free program created to increase the number of America’s Seed Fund Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and  Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards for women, socially/economically disadvantaged individuals, and small businesses in Alaska.

A program of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Center for Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship (Center ICE).

The 49th State Angel Fund (49SAF), is Alaska’s entrepreneurship fund. The 49th State Angel Fund’s mission is to:

1. Provide an evergreen source of capital to high-growth businesses to promote entrepreneurship and foster innovation, creating jobs and economic benefit for Anchorage.

2. Strengthen Alaska's risk capital and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

3. Assist early stage and disadvantaged businesses.

49SAF was capitalized by a $13.7 million federal allocation from the United States Treasury under the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. The Anchorage Angel Evergreen Fund was created in 2016 through MOA Ordinance No. 2016-148 for moneys received as a return of principal or return on investment made by 49SAF.

The UAA Business Plan and Big Idea Competition inspires and encourages entrepreneurship and economic development. UAA students and aspiring entrepreneurs from the Municipality of Anchorage present their startup ideas, and meet and receive feedback from experienced investors, executives, and seasoned entrepreneurs who have successfully started and grown businesses.

Program by the UAA College of Business and Public Policy.

The Anchorage Community Land Trust program Set Up Shop provides a pipeline of support for neighborhood entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their businesses in the Anchorage neighborhoods of focus: Fairview, Spenard, Muldoon and Mountain View. The program also serves Alaska Native and American Indian entrepreneurs.

Program by Anchorage Community Land Trust.

The Denelchin Fab Lab, located at 7710 Grass Creek Road, is a dynamic space dedicated to fostering creativity, innovation, and cultural learning. We offer student programming for K-12 students within the Anchorage School District and beyond, with a special focus on cultural STEM learning that integrates Alaska Native technologies and traditional practices. The Fab Lab hosts an entrepreneurship program in partnership with ACLT, providing open lab time and workshops designed to support local entrepreneurs (resuming October 1).

In addition to the maker technologies, the facility includes two conference rooms and two large open areas, perfect for team retreats, business workshops, and networking events, with a maximum capacity of around 40 people. The Denelchin Fab Lab is not just a space for making; it's a hub for learning, collaboration, and community engagement.

The North Slope Marketplace Business Plan Competition is open exclusively to Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Shareholders, this business plan competition improves the economic opportunities available to Shareholders by providing technical and financial support to small businesses to encourage adaptive, entrepreneurial activity on the North Slope.

Program by McKinley Alaska Growth Capital.

The Aleutian Shareholder Marketplace Business Plan Competition is open exclusively to Aleut Shareholders and descendants of Shareholders, this business plan competition improves the economic opportunities available to Shareholders by providing technical and financial support to small businesses to encourage adaptive, entrepreneurial activity in the Aleutians and across Alaska.

Program by McKinley Alaska Growth Capital and The Aleut Corporation.

The Bristol Bay Marketplace Business Plan Competition is open exclusively to Bristol Bay Native Corporation Shareholders, Descendants, and Spouses, this business plan competition improves the economic opportunities available to eligible applicants by providing technical and financial support to small businesses to encourage adaptive, entrepreneurial activity in the Bristol Bay area and across Alaska.

Program by McKinley Alaska Growth Capital and Bristol Bay Native Corporation

Founded in 2009, the Best in the West small business competition helps new or potential small business owners in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region gain knowledge about starting and operating small businesses and potentially gain grant funding to develop their small business idea.

Program by Bethel Community Services Foundation

The Path to Prosperity competition targets Southeast Alaska residents with ideas for triple-bottom-line businesses; those that will have a positive economic, social, and environmental impact on their communities.  

Program by Spruce Root.

The Innovation Accelerator focuses on University of Alaska research to support its development, launch it as a real world solution, and help it scale up.

Program by UAF’s Center ICE.

The Alaska Interior Business Accelerator gives aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small businesses the tools and networks to set their companies on the path to success, while building momentum and bringing attention to the opportunities that exist for small businesses in Interior Alaska.

Program by the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation.

The Launch Alaska Tech Deployment Track is an eight-month deployment accelerator program designed to help companies forge partnerships, identify projects, and move toward deploying new technologies in Alaska, with a focus on the verticals of Energy, Transportation, and Industry.

Program by Launch Alaska.

The Alaska Healthcare Innovation Accelerator (AHIA) is a free, cohort-based program for Alaskans building healthcare solutions for the state’s unique needs, from idea-stage founders to established organizations launching new services. Participants get one-on-one coaching from mentors and clinicians and validate their ideas. They leave with a business model and pitch deck to present at a final Innovator Showcase.

Program by the Alaska Small Business Development Center and the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development.

The Alaska SBDC offers one-on-one, confidential, and no-cost technical assistance; virtual and in-person training focused on topics of interest to small business owners; and, customized market research for each client.

The Alaska APEX Accelerator provides businesses with the training and tools needed to compete and perform successfully on federal, state, and local government contracts, and offers a wealth of resources available to help businesses navigate government contracting procedures.

The Alaska Women’s Business Center supports the startup and growth of women-owned businesses by equipping women and their families in Alaska with the connections, resources, and training needed to successfully start and run a business.

The Alaska Manufacturing Association exists to connect, support, and amplify Alaska’s manufacturing community.

From small startups to established companies, we create meaningful opportunities for growth through networking events, education, vendor partnerships, and industry collaboration.