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The Raise by LongJump

Developed by LongJump with support from World Business Chicago and the Coleman Foundation, this six-part, in-person program helps post-product, pre-pre-seed founders prepare to raise institutional capital. Participants will receive one-on-one support from real investors and will be expected to give and receive feedback to/from program peers.
Participants will work with the LongJump team on all aspects of a pre-seed fundraising process for their startup, understanding how investors evaluate deals and building the collateral needed to raise (deck, founder memo, case studies, data room, and more). The program will culminate with a curated investor matchmaking event with VCs and angel investors.
Applications will close on December 7, with interviews being scheduled on a rolling basis through December. Fifteen founders will be selected. Five will receive $10,000 non-dilutive grants following the program to help kick off their friends & family or pre-seed rounds.
Program Dates and Expectations
Founders are expected to attend all program sessions and will be removed from the program for non-attendance. Founders will be expected to complete deliverables in between program sessions. Sessions 1, 2, 3, and the Investor Matchmaking event are in-person, full-day workshops (9:30am-4:30pm) in Chicago’s Loop. Sessions 4 and 5 will be scheduled 1-on-1 with the founder.
Tentative Program Dates:

Session One - The Mindset of Investors: Tuesday, January 20 (full-day workshop)
Session Two - Running a Process: Tuesday, February 3 (full-day workshop)
Session Three - Pitch Practice: Tuesday, February 17 (full-day workshop)
Session Four - Mentor Match-ups: Week of February 23
Session Five - Individual Check-ins with LongJump: Week of March 2
Investor Matchmaking: March 11 (full-day workshop)
Ideal Candidates

We’re looking for Chicago-based founders planning to fundraise in the spring or summer of 2026, who have been building their company for less than a year, have launched an initial product or MVP, and have raised under $100K in dilutive capital. Businesses should be pursuing a venture-scale opportunity.

Founders from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented within venture capital are strongly encouraged to apply.
Note: This program is not designed for nonprofits, consulting firms, or service-based businesses.

Section 1: Founder and Company Basics

Full Name

Email Address

Phone Number

LinkedIn Profile

Company Name

Company Website, Demo Video, or Explainer

Briefly explain what your company does.

Where is you company headquartered? Please note we will only work with Chicagoland-based founders in this program and will not consider relocations.

Which category best describes your business?

Which category best describes your business?
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J

Section 2: Team, Traction, Stage

Tell us about your founding team. Who’s working full-time vs. part-time, and why are you the right team to solve this problem?

When did you start working on this company?

Which of the following describes your stage? Select all that apply.

Which of the following describes your stage? Select all that apply.

What traction have you seen so far? This could be revenue, users, pilots, partnerships, etc.

Who are your initial target customers and what evidence do you have that they want your product?

What needs to be true for you to generate $10M in revenue in a single year with this business?

Have you participated in any other programs or accelerators for this company? If yes, please list them.

Section 3: Fundraising

Have you tried to fundraise yet? What has the process been like, and what responses have you been getting?

How much do you plan to raise in your round, and for what purpose?

Have you raised money for this company (dilutive or non-dilutive)? If so, how much and from whom?

What is your biggest challenge, unknown, and/or question when it comes to fundraising?

Section 4: Demographic and Program Information

How did you hear about this program?

Do you or anyone on your team identify with any of the following groups?

Do you or anyone on your team identify with any of the following groups?

Are you okay with us sharing your company’s basic details (name, description, category) with potential investors or ecosystem partners?

Are you okay with us sharing your company’s basic details (name, description, category) with potential investors or ecosystem partners?
A
B

If selected, you commit to participating in all scheduled sessions.

Session One - The Mindset of Investors: Tuesday, January 20
Session Two - Running a Process: Tuesday, February 3
Session Three - Pitch Practice: Tuesday, February 17
Session Four - Mentor Match-ups: Week of February 23
Session Five - Individual Check-ins with LongJump: Week of March 2
Investor Matchmaking: March 11
If selected, you commit to participating in all scheduled sessions.
A
B
C

Is there anything else you'd like us to know?