How it works

Take your business to the next level by collaborating with our management consultants via a non-exclusive 6- to 12-month engagement. 

Committed peer coaching

Team up with sector experts—management consultants who join your team as non-equity advisers. Two managers who are always within reach will support you for the duration of the engagement.

Access to industry expertise and market intelligence

Sharpen your value proposition and strengthen your product or service through our industry knowledge, our market intelligence, and our firsthand operational capabilities

Expert resources across disciplines 

Quickly tap into the resources you need to scale via our network of consultants, senior industry experts, and perhaps even our clients, when mutually beneficial. 

Are you a good fit for Upstart?

We know it’s never been harder to be an entrepreneur. Competition is fierce, resources are scarce, and it’s hard to know where to turn to for sound and unbiased advice. Upstart is designed to help start-ups move past those hurdles and turn founders’ dreams into fully operationalized businesses. Check out the following to assess whether you and Upstart will make a great match:

  • Your concept is strong but would benefit from the kind of refinement that can only emerge from access to firsthand user experiences and broad-based intelligence in your market.
  • You have a great product or service, but are seeking to understand how well it meets your customers’ needs.
  • You are overwhelmed by the idea of operationalizing and scaling for rapid growth and want to know what successful companies do.
  • Your leadership team is young and/or diverse and needs a sounding board to guide your thinking. 

Who we've helped

We have supported a number of start-ups across a range of topics, including developing business growth strategies, scoping out trends and growth opportunities within a specific industry, and plan go to market strategies. Some of the start-ups we've helped include:

Rip Van is a stroopwafel company committed to making low-sugar, high-fiber, healthier sweet snacks. Learn more about our work with Rip Van here.

Hanalei creates gentle, restorative skincare products, inspired by Hawaii's lush, tropical landscape and native botanicals, infusing everything it does with the spirit of Aloha.

Mindful Brands innovates, produces, and distributes premium nonalcoholic drinks in the UK, US, and around the world.

 

Rip Van is a stroopwafel company committed to making low-sugar, high-fiber, healthier sweet snacks. Learn more about our work with Rip Van here.


Hanalei creates gentle, restorative skincare products, inspired by Hawaii's lush, tropical landscape and native botanicals, infusing everything they do with the spirit of Aloha.