Armenia Startup Academy Traction Program
Batch 2
About
the Program
The Armenia Startup Academy Traction Program is an intensive mentorship-based program designed to assist companies holding initial traction to continue on a positive trajectory. We partner with top mentors to establish appropriate growth frameworks, leveraging their deep expertise in Growth Hacking and Sales. The program supports expansion to international markets and helps to improve fundraising using advanced approaches in fundraising strategy and deck development.
The program is initiated by Catalyst Hi-Tech and Entrepreneurship Development Foundation and supported by EU4Business “Technology Development for Armenia” project operating under the EU4Business initiative of the European Union implemented by German Development Cooperation-GIZ. Viva-MTS, Armenia’s leading mobile network operator, joins the initiative as a corporate partner and supporter.
Support in growth hacking strategy development
Implementation of growth hacks in initial expansion stages
Access to international expertise
Sales Enablement
Support in sales strategy development
Sales plan for target markets
Access to industry-specific sales practices
Fundraising
Need assessment and
milestone planning
Support in fundraising
strategy development
Involvement of well-connected experts and mentors
Program Components
Each company will have an individual development program tailored to its needs, including weekly meetings with experts to work on the following components:
Growth Hacking
Who can apply?
We are looking for startups that:
– Managed to gain early traction (revenue/user base/launched product)
– Have raised a minimum of $20k funding in the form of grants,
angel, VC financing, or bootstrapping*
– Previously graduated from an incubation/pre-acceleration program*
*not mandatory, but preferable
Selection Criteria
Team members’ track records
Scalability potential
Traction of the startup
30%
20%
30%
Complementarity of the team composition
20%
Timeline
Sep 18
Application deadline
Aug 26
Application opening
Sep 9
Info session
Sep 20 - 30
Interviews
Oct 4 - Dec 26
Program
Oct 1
Selection results deadline
Jan 8
Demo Day
The 1-1 sessions will be conducted in hybrid mode.
EU Seed Stage Grant
up to
50K
For up to 4 top-performing startups
Selection to be made on weeks 5-6
Batch 1 Overview
170+
1-1 sessions and workshops
9 startups
in edutech, logistics, HR, marketing, and more
€3M+
raised in grants, VC, and angel investments
100+
industry experts
Batch 1 Mentors
Paul Nadjarian
General Manager at CARFAX Car Care
Hamlet Azarian
Founder of Retail Merchant Group, Head of Growth
Zaré Baghdasarian
COO at Earthindex.io
Shahan Khoshafian
Founder and CEO of Startup Assistant
Alec Beglarian
Founder of Engage.Guru and EmailMastery, Email Marketing & Deliverability Consulting
Narine Kotikyan
Managing Director and Co-founder at Spacetab, Director at Founder Institute Yerevan
Tanya Kandralyan
Enterprise Sales at Splunk
Dork Alahydoian
Digital strategy and Product Consultant
FAQ
How does the ASA Traction Program differ from the Pre-Acceleration Program?
Our Pre-Acceleration Program works with prototype and MVP stage companies, guiding them through idea validation, customer development, go-to-market strategy development, and pitching. We designed the Traction Program for companies that have already launched products with notable traction. The goal is to increase said traction with intensive mentorship focused on elevating growth hacking, sales, and fundraising.
Is the Traction Program held in-house or remotely?
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, the Traction Program has adopted a hybrid format. 1:1 mentor meetings occur online, while meetups take place in-person with a fully remote option.
Does the Traction Program accept international startups?
The Armenia Startup Academy highly encourages participation from international startups.
What resources and opportunities will be provided during the program?
Selected teams will have access to the wide network of experienced domain professionals from Armenia Startup Academy community located in Armenia and abroad. The teams will be able to take advantage of our cloud infrastructure and service partnerships benefits.
What is the duration of the program?
The ASA Traction Program comprises 10 mentorship weeks followed by a Demo Day.
Where is the Armenia Startup Academy located?
The Armenia Startup Academy is based out of Hero House, a tech and entrepreneurship hub in the center of Yerevan.
What is the tuition fee for startups enrolled in the Traction Program?
Do you request compensation from startups in the form of equity?
We currently do not ask equity of Traction Program participants; this is subject to change for upcoming batches.
Do you invest in the participating companies following Traction Program completion?
While we don’t personally invest, the ASA strives to connect participants with investors and funding opportunities.
Is the Traction Program open to ASA Pre-Acceleration Program alumni?
Who are the mentors involved in the Traction Program?
ASA Traction Program mentors are carefully selected, high-profile professionals and industry experts passionate about improving startups. We look for specialists experienced in B2B sales to Fortune 500 companies, growth hacking for scaled companies, strategic email marketing and sales, etc.