MATR
MambaXcelerate
Program
Startup.
Xcelerate.
The Matr MambaXcelerate program aims to accelerate the commercialization of six early-stage companies led by diverse teams in the deep-tech sectors of climate tech, health tech, fintech, and cyber. This eight-month program will provide selected companies with industry-specific advisors, resources, and access to a powerful network of investors and strategic partners to achieve up to three pilot projects over the course of the year. This is a zero-cost program, and no equity is taken from startups.
Why do we prioritize investments at the intersection of deep tech and these 4 sectors?
Clean AI / Energy Tech
Global demand for clean AI is positioned for significant growth as the world addresses critical energy, food, and water-related issues
FinTech
Deep tech is increasingly impacting financial systems and transactions, primarily enhancing various financial services and creating opportunities to democratize access to economic opportunities for many.
Health Tech
Applied AI / Health is one of the most critical and fastest-growing sectors. Opportunities exist to reduce human error, assist medical professionals, and improve patient outcomes.
Cyber
Cyber is a sector where 50% of internet users are victims of cybercrime—and most don’t even realize it. People’s privacy and information are being compromised, and cyber-attacks occur every 39 seconds at an average cost of $4.2M per company.
Program Details
Each company enters a pre-seed stage to reach the objective of achieving substantial pilot outcomes, enabling them to secure seed funding and engage with strategic partners. We provide individual support to each startup to address specific business challenges.The program includes two primary phases:
1. Business Strategy and Development (2 months):** Companies receive advisory on strategic planning, refining their business models, and preparing for product-market fit.
2. Sales and Commercialization (6 months):** Focused on helping companies achieve pilot engagements and optimize sales and go-to-market strategies to approach investors and market channels.
Application Process
Applications Open: January 20th
Applications Close: February 20th
Program Starts: March 1st, 2025
Eligibility
The Matr MambaXcelerate program is open to early-stage companies led by diverse teams operating in deep-tech sectors, including climate tech, health tech, fintech, and cyber. Companies should be in the commercialization phase and committed to accelerating their growth through strategic partnerships and pilot projects.
Judging
Participants in the Matr MambaXcelerate program will be evaluated based on the strength of their technology, the diversity of their team, their market potential, and their ability to demonstrate meaningful progress during the program. Judging will be conducted by a panel of industry experts, investors, and strategic partners, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of each company’s potential for commercial success.
Judging Process
Round One:
Eligibility screening: To manage application volume and respect applicants time we conduct an eligibility screen via a simple firm to understand the following:
- Stage: Companies must be in the pre-seed or seed stage of development.
- Sector Focus: Applicants should be operating in climate tech, health tech, fintech, or cyber sectors.
- Team Diversity: Preference will be given to startups led by diverse founders and co-founders.
- Scalability: Preference for proof of patent
- Commitment: Preference for founders that can commit a minimum of 12 hours per month via workshops, industry sessions, mentoring, partnership building.
Round Two:
Online Review: Applicants are invited to submit applications which are reviewed by a panel of seven judges.
- Notification of Advancement: Startups are notified if they advance to the second round.
Round Three:
Pitch Session: Semi-finalists pitch to a panel of judges either in-person or virtually, depending on circumstances.
- Notification of Selection: Startups are notified about status, those not accepted are provided with feedback.
The MATR PowerUp Network
The Power Up Network includes 400+ Fortune 1000 corporate decision makers, buyers, testers and innovators committed to supporting our startups in:
The MambaXcelerate Team
Giselle Melo
Managing Partner
Before starting Matr Ventures, Giselle was a Partner and Head of Investment Banking at Toren & Associates, with over 5 billion in buy/sell transactions for the wealth management industry, including Banks, Private Wealth, Institutional firms, and family offices.
Giselle is also a former exited founder with a 13-year track record, leading software systems, machine learning design, and engineering across multiple sectors.
Dominique Aubry
Operating Partner
Dominique is a Techstars andMass Challenge Alumni with 15 years of experience working with accelerators globally. In addition to being an Operating Partner at Matr Ventures, Dominique is a Harvard i-lab judge and mentor, MIT I-corps trainer and mentor, Techstars Lead Mentor (Space, J.P Morgan, Mobility), and USC Expert-in-Residence.
Chris Lynch
Operating Partner
Chris was the CFO of GoBolt, a tech-enabled, sustainably-focused logistics provider. His impressive track record includes leadership roles at Financeit, AlarmForce Industries, and Brookfield Asset Management.
Eric Richmond
Matr Investment Committee
Eric is a three-time CTO with successful exits at Splice, Slickdeals, and Shopify. He currently is the Principal Architect at Basil Systems, building AI for the Life Science sector.
