A global start-up accelerator run by and for entrepreneurs with disabilities

2GI, a DC-based accelerator for entrepreneurs with disabilities, supported 80+ startups from 2019-2024. Participants raised $70M+ with backing from Comcast, Amazon, Google.org, and JP Morgan Chase.

2Gether-International (2GI) is a global start-up accelerator for entrepreneurs with disabilities, based in Washington, DC. Its 10-week cohort programme helps high-impact start-ups to improve their pitch and business model, with the chance to receive substantial seed funding. From 2019 to 2024 over 80 start-ups have participated, collectively raising about $70 million in funding; and companies such as Comcast, Amazon, Google.org, and JP Morgan Chase are partnering with the 2GI Accelerator Programs.

Problems Targeted

Support and funding for entrepreneurs with disabilities is very low and most often focused only on traditional industries.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

2Gether-International (2GI) Accelerator Programs select and empower high-growth, tech-focused start-ups founded by entrepreneurs with disabilities. Participants join a ten-week online accelerator, gaining access to mentorship, training, and resources. The programme culminates in a pitch competition where entrepreneurs have the chance to raise seed funding. 2GI’s cohorts are backed by corporate partners and sponsors, including Comcast NBCUniversal, Amazon’s AWS Start-ups, Google for Startups, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Small Business Administration, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Capital One, and KPMG. In addition to its main accelerator, 2GI launched Venture Labs, an eight-week programme designed for idea-stage entrepreneurs with disabilities. Since 2019 over 80 start-ups have completed 2GI’s programmes, collectively raising more than $70 million through investments, revenue, and acquisitions from external investors. Although not all start-ups focus on disability-related themes, several do, such as Mizaru, which matches support workers with those in need, and Symbionic, which produces prosthetics. 2GI’s mission supports the growth of these diverse ventures, creating a unique ecosystem for disabled entrepreneurs to succeed in tech-focused fields.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

2Gether-International is funded through fundraising and public grants. Comcast NBCUniversal is a long-time partner, providing over $1 million to fund the programme from 2022 to 2025. In 2024, 2GI’s goal was to create a pipeline to support 3,000 to 5,000 disabled entrepreneurs annually by 2030. In addition, it has planned a venture capital fund specifically for start-up founders with disabilities, with a goal of raising $5 million in philanthropic capital for this initiative. 2GI also partnered with the Inter-American Development Bank Labs to launch Ecosistema Diverso: Promoting Entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean. (Zero Project Awardee 2025)

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