Investment Readiness Engine

Gain traction, get fundable, and compete for a $100K investment

A 9-month execution accelerator for Sacramento pre-seed and seed companies ready to turn customer traction into investment readiness.

IRE helps founders build the evidence investors need to believe: repeatable customer acquisition, validated pilots, real metrics, and a capital story that can survive diligence.

Apply for IRESee how it works
$100K

SPV investment awarded to one showcase company after real due diligence

9 months

Execution-focused acceleration from launch through investment showcase

15 startups

Sacramento pre-seed and seed companies selected for the cohort

$20K

Non-dilutive experimentation pool for validated customer tests

Grant-sponsored by

The City of Sacramento

City of Sacramento
Two engines, one outcome

Build the traction evidence that makes capital easier to raise

IRE runs customer acquisition and capital readiness in parallel, so investor conversations are backed by proof instead of hope.

Customer acquisition / GTM

Build the evidence investors look for: repeatable sales motion, pilot design, enterprise and government customer development, revenue acceleration, and case studies that show the market is responding.

Capital readiness

Turn traction into an investable story with financial modeling, investor metrics dashboards, data room preparation, and an evidence-based narrative that can stand up to diligence.

How the program works

This is not a passive curriculum. Founders work through monthly sprints, lab meetings, and experiment cycles tied to their actual company.

Execution rhythm

  • Monthly design sprints that narrow from full cohort work to smaller groups and finalist 1:1 sprints
  • Regular 1:1 lab meetings with Traction Lab on each company's actual bottlenecks
  • Online community access, Traction Lab-only events, and a founder resource library
  • Mentor and subject matter expert support from Traction Lab, CCIE, and regional partner networks
  • $500-$2,000 experiment grants for validated pilots, incentives, contractors, or market tests

Free to founders. No equity taken.

The program is grant-funded by the City of Sacramento and co-delivered by The Right Box and the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Sacramento State.
The physical home is Connect Labs, with CCIE leading investor recruitment, ecosystem partnerships, and showcase execution.

Milestone-gated acceleration

Support narrows as companies prove progress. The strongest 4-6 companies advance to the showcase, where one company receives the $100K SPV investment.

March - May 2026

Applications, screening interviews, mini design sprints, and cohort selection

June 2026

Kickoff at Connect Labs, baseline diagnostics, and the first cohort-wide sprint

June 2026 - January 2027

Monthly sprints, lab meetings, customer acquisition work, and capital readiness buildout

September 2026

Milestone Gate #1 narrows support toward companies showing real progress

December 2026

Milestone Gate #2 selects 4-6 showcase finalists and begins investor diligence

February 2027

Investment Showcase at Connect Labs, where one company receives a $100K SPV investment

Who should apply

IRE is built for founders who already have a product, early market signal, and the willingness to run a rigorous process.

Founder and company fit

  • Post-MVP with initial customer validation, typically $10K-$100K ARR or equivalent traction
  • B2B or B2B2C with enterprise potential and venture-scale economics
  • Technical founder or CTO on the team
  • Sacramento-based, city-headquartered, or willing to establish Connect Labs as headquarters
  • Full-time, coachable, evidence-oriented founders ready to run real experiments

Sector focus

The program is sector-agnostic, with emphasis on Sacramento strengths including AgTech, GovTech, HealthTech, and CleanTech. Diversity is a priority across recruitment and selection.
What makes it different

Built for traction, not startup theater

Finalists should be able to demonstrate what changed in the company, not just perform a polished pitch.

Evidence over pitch training

The goal is not a better deck. The goal is stronger evidence: customers, pilots, metrics, and a sales motion that makes the pitch less speculative.

Milestone-gated support

Companies progress through gates as traction develops. Support concentrates on the founders proving they can turn experiments into fundable momentum.

Real capital, real diligence

The $100K SPV investment is competitive capital from recruited investors, not a guaranteed grant or a warm introduction.
Track record

Built on programs and partners that have already moved capital and customers

Traction Lab portfolio

In 2025, 32 companies generated $1M+ in collective new ARR, accessed $150K+ in non-dilutive funding, and produced two acquisitions.

The Right Box

50+ pre-seed companies supported to first revenue, with advised companies raising $10M+ in follow-on capital over three years.

CCIE

Manages $1M+ in grant funding; AngelCon deployed $200K equity and $150K non-dilutive capital to five companies.

Anchor case

811 Spotter joined Traction Lab after AngelCon 2024 and was acquired by a PE-backed strategic buyer in 2025.

Frequently asked questions

The important details for founders considering the first IRE cohort.

Make your company more fundable.

Apply for the Investment Readiness Engine if you are ready to build the customer traction, metrics, and investor readiness needed to compete for serious capital.
Apply nowReview the program