Innovation Depot is launching new programming in 2021, aiming to meet entrepreneurs wherever they are on the continuum from idea to exit.

Two new programs are coming online at the Depot in addition to its flagship program, Velocity, an accelerator that has been in existence for the past five years and where the Birmingham Business Alliance’s Vice President of Innovation and Technology Jon Nugent serves as the Investor-In-Residence for Velocity companies, helping them become capital ready.

This month the Depot will launch Vision ID, a seven-day e-mail campaign that exists to be the entry point for burgeoning entrepreneurs into the startup ecosystem. Voltage, the other new program offering from the Depot, is a nine-week program that kicked off on February 8 and meets those at the idea stage.

Kellie Clark, Innovation Depot’s director of programs, said after extensive time spent listening to tenets in the building and beyond, it became evident that there was room to grow within programming at the Depot and a need to meet people earlier in their entrepreneurial journey.

“[Vision ID] is easy, on-ramp content, a tool to continue to educate the market and to invite people into the space that may have had interest, but don’t know what Innovation Depot is about,” Clark said. “And people need spaces and opportunities and resources to figure it out, and that’s what Voltage is.”

Clark said those who complete Voltage can leave at stages ranging from still deciding whether the idea is worth pursuing to being ready to pitch their idea for funding.

Clark compares Innovation Depot’s three-pronged programming pipeline to building a house: Vision ID is the foundation, Voltage is the house’s frame, and Velocity is an unfurnished house, ready to go to the next level towards completion.

“These programs exist, essentially, to cultivate entrepreneurs and support them from idea to exit, if they choose to exit,” Clark said. “We don’t want any founders in our ecosystem to be left behind – we want to make sure founders have a place to land no matter where they are on that continuum.”

Nugent said Vision ID and Voltage are solid additions to an already robust programming lineup at the Depot.

“These two programs will be invaluable resources to Birmingham’s growing and vital entrepreneurial community,” he said. “Voltage and Vision ID are two great examples of the tremendous work that’s happening at Innovation Depot to move our community forward.”