New 12-Month Program Provides Late Seed-Stage Enterprise AI & Automation Companies with Non-Dilutive Capital & Investment, Sales Infrastructure, and Investor Access — Launching May 2026
LOS ANGELES, CA — March 2026 — Plug In Ventures (PIV), a leading entrepreneurship ecosystem with nearly a decade of experience supporting underrepresented founders, today announced the launch of its Enterprise Growth Residency — a new 12-month, outcomes-focused program designed to bridge the gap between late seed-stage traction and Series A readiness for Enterprise AI and Automation companies.
The program marks the next evolution of PIV’s accelerator model — moving beyond early-stage support to target a specific and underserved inflection point: underrepresented founders, primarily Black and Latinx, who have already raised institutional seed capital and built capable products, but have not yet crossed the threshold into Series A readiness.
About the Enterprise Growth Residency
The Enterprise Growth Residency is purpose-built for 3–4 late seed-stage companies per cohort — a deliberately small number that enables deep engagement, meaningful mentor relationships, and high-quality program execution. Companies accepted into the program receive:
- Non-dilutive capital: A minimum of $50,000 per company (lump sum), with potential for up to $100,000 for high-performing companies — enabling founders to invest in enterprise-facing execution without premature equity dilution.
- Sales & go-to-market development: Structured curriculum and hands-on mentorship from senior operators and CROs, with direct support building and scaling a full enterprise sales engine — inbound, outbound, narrative, and positioning.
- Curated investor access: Including an investor speed dating event at Month 2, a mid-program offsite retreat at Month 6, and a Series A readiness event at Month 12.
- A high-caliber mentor network: Organized around the specific needs of enterprise AI companies at this stage, with meaningful access and accountability built in throughout the program.
The target outcome for every participating company: two or more signed enterprise customer contracts, a repeatable and documented sales process, and a Series A-ready company by program completion.
“The Growth Residency is not a lecture series or a bootcamp. It is an intensive, curated environment built around the activities that actually move enterprise companies forward — real customer conversations, repeatable sales processes, and the infrastructure to scale. We built this program because we saw exactly where underrepresented founders were stalling, and we know how to help them break through.”
— Derek Smith, CEO, Plug In Ventures
The funding environment has raised the bar for Series A. Investors now expect demonstrable enterprise traction — not just pilot conversations — before committing capital. For underrepresented founders, who are often navigating this without the networks, runway, or structured support that their peers receive, the gap between seed and Series A has become one of the most acute structural disadvantages in the ecosystem.
Enterprise AI and Automation tools — particularly those serving horizontal business functions like legal, HR, finance, customer support, sales, and operations — represent a compelling entry point. Pilot cycles are faster, compliance barriers are lower, and every enterprise is a potential customer. The Growth Residency is designed to help founders capture that opportunity.
Building on a Proven Foundation
Since 2015, Plug In Ventures has supported more than 1,200 founders, secured over $2 million in non-dilutive grants, and helped portfolio companies raise more than $30 million in capital — with 90% of program companies securing paying customers before raising venture capital. The Enterprise Growth Residency builds on that foundation with a more focused, higher-stakes offering targeted at the companies most positioned to generate outsized outcomes.
Program at a Glance
The Enterprise Growth Residency is the next iteration of that work, not a new program starting from scratch, but the evolution of nearly a decade of accelerator programming, refined for founders at the Series A threshold. Think of it as the latest version of something that has been built, tested, and improved over time. The foundation is proven. The focus is sharper.
- Launch: May 2026
- Duration: 12 months
- Cohort Size: 3–4 companies
- Sector Focus: Enterprise AI & Automation (AI agents, workflow automation, AI infrastructure)
- Capital: Minimum $50K non-dilutive (lump sum); up to $100K for exceptional companies
- Geographic Focus: Strong California presence required
- Target Outcomes: 2+ signed enterprise customer contracts, repeatable sales process, Series A readiness
Applications: Application link here.