Employee Ownership Fund Accelerator
A program for the next generation of EO fund managers and capital entrepreneurs
You’re building an investment initiative designed to help workers become owners. Establishing the necessary infrastructure, investors, and credibility takes more than conviction. It takes community, capital relationships and operational support.
The Employee Ownership Fund Accelerator is a selective, tuition-free 9-month program built specifically for the emerging Capital Entrepreneurs who will help define the next generation of this investment area.
Built for managers who know the value of building alongside others. We are accepting 8 to 10 platforms into our inaugural 2026–2027 cohort.
Applications for the inaugural EO Fund Accelerator are now closed, but you can register interest to be notified about future cohorts.
The moment for employee ownership capital is here Build your platform with others who get it
Nearly 3 million U.S. businesses — employing 1 in 5 private-sector workers — will change hands in the coming decade. Most will be sold to outside buyers, consolidated or shuttered. The employee ownership opportunity gets bypassed, and the opportunity to build wealth for everyday workers is lost.
A new generation of EO investment platforms is stepping into that gap. This sector has entered a phase of significant acceleration, marked by a meaningful year-over-year increase in assets under management. As a substantial number of funds actively raise new capital, the field is building powerful momentum.
The EO Fund Accelerator was built for this exact moment.
The next generation of EO fund managers are poised to take advantage of this moment, but they’re limited by their teams’ capacities, access to investor capital, and their operational readiness. This program is designed to help EO investors overcome those hurdles.
What you get in the cohort
A curated peer cohort
8–10 fund managers and capital entrepreneurs. Monthly working sessions, access to expert advisors, and robust opportunities for peer-to-peer learning.
Customized 1:1 strategic support
Private sessions tailored to the specific needs of participants across essential themes in fundraising, fund operations and fund design.
Investor access and visibility
Public Fund Spotlights and closed-door EO Investors’ Circle events that raise participants’ profiles across the field. Visibility within a curated community of aligned LPs: family offices, foundations and RIAs that already understand and believe in employee ownership.
Operational infrastructure
Templates, tools, and frameworks developed to support emerging funds and EO strategies with developing a comprehensive and efficient back office.
Story and pitch refinement
Support developing pitch materials and narrative. Help articulate what makes EO compelling, and what makes your platform a credible vehicle for it.
You should apply if . . .
- You are actively raising outside capital to invest in or finance broad-based employee ownership
- Your investment strategy is U.S.-focused
- You’re navigating the early stages of fund or investment platform formation — and you know the value of the right support for your firm right now
- You believe peer learning matters, and want to build alongside others navigating similar challenges in the EO investment space.
Participation is fully tuition-free. Cohort size is strictly limited to 8–10.
Program at a glance
September 2026 – May 2027
investment platforms
cost to participants
Format includes
- All-cohort learning sessions
- Private 1:1 strategic advisory sessions
- Exclusive learning sessions with leading GPs and LPs
- Public recognition upon selection and through EO Fund Spotlights
- Shared tools and resources
Program timeline
Who's behind the Accelerator
Ownership Capital Lab is a dedicated field builder and financial backbone for scaling employee ownership investing, with a focus on converting capital into durable, broad-based ownership outcomes for working people. Anchored by the Employee Ownership Capital Roadmap—a North Star for mobilizing $1.5 billion in the next few years, $10B by 2040 and $100B+ beyond—we connect investors, funds and opportunities through market-making, education, infrastructure and capital mobilization to enable a step-change in ownership at scale: first tens of thousands, then hundreds of thousands, and ultimately millions of new worker-owners. We design new financial products to help carry employee ownership into the mainstream and build the critical market infrastructure needed to scale, including digital platforms, growth supports for EO funds and data benchmarking. Our aim is to transform ownership in America—so workers, businesses and communities thrive together.
Catalyze is a platform unlocking access to capital, networks, and resources for Capital Entrepreneurs. We work alongside allocators and funders who recognize that expanding access to capital requires supporting the fund managers themselves, not just the businesses they invest in. Our work is grounded in the belief that when we expand who manages capital and equip them to succeed, we reshape what gets funded and unlock a more innovative, inclusive economy. Through capacity building, community and capital, we provide Capital Entrepreneurs – underrepresented and innovative investors – with the resources they need to launch and grow. Catalyze runs an annual, six-month flagship program that supports first-time, underrepresented & innovative fund managers through access to capital, resources and networks.
FAQ
Yes, absolutely. We intentionally use the term "Capital Entrepreneurs." If you are building an independent sponsor model moving toward a repeatable deal process, an evergreen cooperative fund, a permanent capital vehicle or a holding company for employee-owned businesses, you are a potential fit. The non-negotiable requirement is that your platform is structured to execute multiple, repeating transactions that center broad-based worker wealth creation. Single-transaction structures are not a fit for this cohort.
We know that you are actively developing or running a platform, fundraising and evaluating deals. The program is designed to maximize operational leverage without adding superficial busywork. Over the 9 months, mandatory commitments include monthly 60 to 90-minute all-cohort learning sessions (hosted by Ownership Capital Lab, Catalyze and guests) and 4 to 5 1-hour private 1:1 support calls (with Ownership Capital lab and/or Catalyze). Highly specialized outside advisor/mentor office hours may be available on an opt-in basis, and there may be other one-off events that you’re encouraged to participate in.
Yes! Even if you're unsure whether your initiative is the right fit for this program, we encourage you to apply. The field of employee ownership investing is still taking shape, and understanding who's out there and what you need will help us add value to the space.. In the case that we’re not able to offer you a spot in our inaugural cohort, your application may help us build future offerings that are a better fit for you and others.
Please only submit one application per firm. You will be prompted to list co-GPs and partners by name within the application. Team members beyond the primary applicant are welcome to participate in the program. The program is designed to primarily support 2-3 decision-makers and leaders.
You can expect to participate in about 2–4 hours of online time per month. The program format includes all-cohort learning sessions (delivered by Ownership Capital Lab, Catalyze and guest speakers), peer learning sessions, and 1:1 sessions with Ownership Capital Lab and Catalyze. Optional office hours with guest advisors and mentors may also be offered. Monthly learning themes include back office development, impact design and communication, navigating EO deals, fundraising strategy, AI for fund managers and more.
No, there is no requirement to have already raised or deployed capital for your current initiative.
We don’t have any narrow expectations on participant background. A main asset of this program is that the Ownership Capital Lab and Catalyze partnership explicitly covers both sides: Ownership Capital Lab has the expertise to support participants who need more learning on the employee ownership side and Catalyze has the expertise to support those who need more on fundraising and fund operations.
We are open to all broad-based employee ownership models and invite initiatives of all structures to apply. The program is looking for a diversity of strategies and we’re aiming to build a cohort of Capital Entrepreneurs on a path toward running a sustainable fund or investment platform. No single approach is prioritized; instead, we want applicants to articulate how their work moves the needle on employee ownership at scale.
Yes, as long employee ownership is a meaningful part of the strategy. A fund that includes employee ownership alongside other community ownership strategies is eligible. We invite you to define what constitutes a “meaningful part” for yourself.
We will provide feedback for applicants invited to interview but not selected to participate. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we will not be able to provide feedback for applicants who do not advance to the interview stage. Please know that the selection process is as much about building a balanced cohort as it is about individual merit. A strong applicant may not be selected simply because we’re intentionally assembling a diversity of strategies, geographies, EO models, and stages. Not being selected doesn’t mean that your work isn’t fundable or impactful. We hope you’ll stay connected to our work and consider applying to future cohorts.
Yes, if you'd like to review all of the application questions before beginning your application you can see the full list of questions here.
Want to learn more?
On June 24, we held a live Q&A on Zoom where we opened the floor to your questions about the program and what to expect.