Welcome to Tales from the Forest, the official blog of the Forestry Accelerator, brought to you by Do North. Whether you’re a forest products entrepreneur, or just want to keep up to speed on the fast-evolving forest and wood products industry, this space is for you. Over the coming months, we’ll be posting a range of stories, from participant profiles, to interviews with people within the industry, to news about upcoming events.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Forestry Accelerator program, here’s a quick overview. The Accelerator is a four-month program that runs annually, and offers a unique opportunity for start-up and preseed-stage companies from across North America that are commercializing new and improved products, services, and technology within the forestry industry.
During the program, participants gain access to experts, customers, suppliers, and industry leaders to gain insight on market opportunities and guidance on your company’s development. They also benefit from a rigorous commercialization curriculum developed by our program partner, ecosVC, that provides companies with expert advice and a process to build a market validated business case, business model, and go-to market plan. The Accelerator has both in-person and virtual components and provides financial support for travel and lodging for two trips to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom to connect in-person with other cohort participants, coaches, and industry players.
Participants may focus on one of three areas in the forest and wood products sector: Products using chips, dust, resins, shavings, byproducts, and other low grade wood; technology that improves forest industry operations, production, automation, safety, management, or sales; or products or services that increase the use, efficiency, or systems of wood-based heat or fuels. The ultimate goal is to both identify companies that demonstrate a viable business model and to support innovation in the forest industry, thus leading to a more diverse, dynamic, and resilient forest products industry for all.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out using our contact form. And stay tuned for more tales from the forest.