startup accelerators by bringing our innovators focused mentorship and support from our exclusive Stars Mentor Network that is comprised of visionaries, practitioners, and successful entrepreneurs from across the cyber industry. Twice a year, MACH37 invests in a cohort of 5-10 cyber startups, each of which participates in an intensive 3-month program that emphasizes coaching, mentorship, and validation of their solution for product/market fit. Throughout the program, startups are introduced to investors and key public and private sector organizations in the Washington DC metro area. Our program is designed to propel cyber startups into the marketplace, equipped with the skills to connect with customers, grow and compete for funding, and generate traction. The program culminates with a Demo Day presentation to 150-200 investors.

MACH37 was established in 2013 as a division of the Virginia-based Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) with funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2017 CIT partnered with VentureScope, a strategic innovation consultancy and venture investment firm, to revamp MACH37's operating model and curriculum. In 2018, VentureScope acquired majority ownership of MACH37. Following a successful partnership between CIT and VentureScope, MACH37 became fully owned and operated by VentureScope in 2020. MACH37 focuses primarily on honing and strengthening startups' product-market fit through extensive customer discovery and market research, expanding emerging companies' professional networks, fostering founder wellbeing, and providing emerging companies in the cyber security industry with access to investment capital and an immediate customer base. In an October 2020 article, Forbes named MACH37 'the Granddaddy' of top cyber accelerators giving a nod to the fact that MACH37 was one of the first accelerators in the world dedicated to cyber and cyber adjacent technologies and has lasted far longer than many of its peer accelerators while strengthening over time. The name 'MACH37' is a reference to the escape velocity of Earth's atmosphere and the accelerator's goal to help cyber startups GET LAUNCHED.

VentureScope receives 5% equity from each MACH37 startup. Qualifying MACH37 startups are also eligible for an equity investment.