Innovation Hub

Disclaimer

The Accelerate California Inclusive Hubs program is administered by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) through select centers of the Technical Assistance Program. The iHub program is only available through the 2022 iHub² designees listed on this website.

About the Program

With the state facing global competition for talent and leadership in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, research, and education, California must expand its innovation capacity by leveraging the resources, creativity, and ingenuity that exists across all geographic regions of the state. Through a new California initiative, the Accelerate California Inclusive Innovation Hubs, or Accelerate CA Hubs, program catalyzes and fosters innovation ecosystems across the state.

This program aims to: advance critical technology development; address industry and societal challenges; foster collaboration and partnership development across industry, academia, government, nonprofits, civil society, and communities of practice; stimulate economic growth and job creation; and serve as a conduit to regional innovation and talent.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) are intentionally and meaningfully embedded at the core of this program. The Accelerate CA Hub program uniquely harnesses California’s research and development, science and technology, angel and venture capital networks, local, and regional-level resources. Accelerate CA Hubs are aimed at catalyzing robust partnerships rooted in scientific and technological innovation to positively impact the economy within a geographic region, address societal challenges, and advance national competitiveness.

Accelerate CA Hub Designees

An Accelerate California: Inclusive Innovation Hub (Accelerate CA Hub) may do all of, but shall not be limited to the following:

Provide low and/or no-cost technical assistance to innovation-based enterprises, early-stage companies and startups seeking non-dilutive funding, debt funding, as well as equity funding via angel and/or venture capital. An Accelerate CA Hub shall make every effort to ensure services are accessible and equitably available to underserved geographic areas and underserved business owners.
Develop and/or leverage an existing innovation-focused ecosystem aimed at providing subject matter expertise, mentorship, access to resources, and engagement with regional partners to ensure equitable access to the Accelerate CA Hub, including, but not limited to, state universities and research institutes, angel and venture capital groups, incubators and accelerators, state community colleges, local governments, state and federal technical assistance providers, private industry, workforce investment boards and agencies, small business and microenterprise development organizations, economic development organizations, community-based organizations, and chambers of commerce.
Develop inclusive innovation focused programming that is aimed at facilitating the transformation of invention to impact and supporting the growth and development of high scale and/or high growth companies including, but not limited to: the entrepreneurial mindset, launching new entrepreneurial ventures, managing a growing business, commercialization road mapping, bootstrapping your business, new venture opportunity analysis, commercializing entrepreneurial Innovation, traversing the funding landscape, customer discovery and development, lean startup methodology, how to get “Investor Ready”, commercializing federal and /or university technologies, reduction of technical and market risk for a product, service, or technology through a trial or pilot, how to build a C-level team, how to write a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grant Proposal, Commercialization planning, go-to market strategies and other innovation focused programming that coincides with the objectives of this program.

Specific services and focused industries vary by Accelerate CA Hub. To learn more about specific services available, please visit or contact your local Accelerate CA Hub designee.

Accelerate CA Hub designees are higher education institutions, economic development corporations, and private nonprofit corporations committed to serving the underserved regions and communities of the State of California through incubation and acceleration programs focused on technology and science-based firms.

Twelve institutions across the State of California have received iHub² designation. To learn more about the background of the Accelerate CA Hub program and the awardees of designation in 2022, please view the following informational document. Learn More About iHub²

What Services Do Accelerate CA Hub Designees Provide?

Accelerate CA Hub designees offer diverse entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop and grow their innovative ideas by bridging the connection to local networks and communities and increasing access to critical advising and training services. Some of the services available through Accelerate CA Hub designees may include:

Identification of market and project opportunities through leveraging of local networks.
Industry specific workshops on business and innovation development.
Product development and testing resources.
Access to funding opportunities and grant writing connections.
Workforce skill development programs.
Direct advising and mentorships with industry experts.

Specific services and focused industries vary by Accelerate CA Hub. To learn more about specific services available, please visit or contact your local Accelerate CA Hub designee.

Interactive Designee Service Map

The following map illustrates the service coverage of the current Accelerate CA Hub designees. Through this tool you can select your county to isolate designees that provide services in your area, select an Accelerate CA Hub designee to view their service area region, and locate contact information to learn more about their Accelerate CA Hub programming.