In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm and Jeppe Høier sit down with Zack Weisfeld, the founding force behind Intel Ignite (now Ignite Deep Tech), to explore the evolution of one of the most respected deep tech accelerators in the world. From reinventing how corporates engage with startups to pioneering a "co-founder as a service" model, Zack shares what it takes to build real bridges between enterprise and entrepreneurship.
Here’s what’s covered:
03:10 Why Intel Chose to Spin It Out—And How the Ecosystem Reacted
06:15 The Three Pillars: Seed, Pre-Seed, and Ideation Programs
08:00 What Most Corporate Accelerators Get Wrong
11:40 Co-Founder as a Service: A New Model of Acceleration
13:25 Why Corporate Mentorship Works When Done Right
19:40 Lessons from 14 Years of Building Accelerators
26:20 How Mentorship Creates Internal Champions
30:15 Aligning Startup Success with Corporate Transformation
35:10 Why Mental Health Support for Founders Is a Strategic Imperative
📺 Watch the episode here or stream it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts—now with chapters for easy navigation on Spotify and Apple 🎧
✍️ Show Notes
From Intel Ignite to Ignite Deep Tech
Zack traces the journey of Intel Ignite, born inside the tech giant to transform how it engages startups, now reborn as Ignite Deep Tech, a standalone platform co-funded by corporations and government. With support from key players such as Bessemer and the Israeli government, the initiative demonstrates that deep tech acceleration is too important to let die.
Three Layers of Acceleration
Ignite Deep Tech is more than just a seed accelerator. It spans:
A 12-week seed program for startups with an average of $7.2M raised.
A 6-month pre-seed track focused on acceleration fundamentals.
A founder development layer for ideators from academia and corporations ready to enter the startup world.
What Makes Corporate Accelerators Fail
Backed by research from Bayes Business School, Zack highlights how most corporate accelerators flop due to shallow, transactional relationships. Ignite's model is different—focused on trust, empathy, and transparency, it works like a “co-founder” rather than a vendor.
Mentors from the Inside
Corporate mentors are paired with each startup to build internal buy-in and champion integration. With over 35% of Ignite companies partnering with Intel through licensing, POCs, or acquisition, the numbers speak volumes.
Why It Works: Founder-Led, Founder-First
Run by seasoned entrepreneurs—not program managers or corporate lifers—the team behind Ignite knows what founders need. That includes hard conversations like “you shouldn’t be CEO,” and tactical support across tech, go-to-market, and even home life.
The Return on Relationship
The payoff for corporations isn’t just innovation theater. With 6.2x returns in the first batch and nearly $30B raised across 967 startups accelerated, the model shows that true engagement drives both economic and cultural transformation.
Caring Is Strategy: Founders, Mental Health & Long-Term Success
In a moving segment, Zack shares how a founder’s breakdown led him to pursue a psychotherapy degree. Today, mental health is core to Ignite’s founder support, integrated through peer CEO therapy groups and long-term relational scaffolding.
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