Winston Starts is not a traditional venture capital fund, angel group, or direct investor — it is a non-profit startup incubator and accelerator based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA focused on helping founders scale their early-stage businesses with mentoring, workspace, and ecosystem support rather than writing checks against company equity.

Pre-Seed / Seed support: Provides startup support and scaling assistance for companies that have early traction or a product ready to grow.
Post-Seed / Growth: Helps companies scale their operations and become investor-ready, but it does not act as a funding source itself.

• Equity Taken: Winston Starts does not take equity in participating companies — it is structured as a non-equity accelerator/incubator.
• It does not invest capital directly into startups but rather focuses on mentorship, workspace, programming, and access to investor networks such as local angel groups (like the WSPR Fund) and VCs in the Winston-Salem ecosystem.

Submission Method: Startups apply through Winston Starts’ own application process (e.g., through their website or via platforms like F6S) to join its programs and receive support rather than direct funding. 
Selection: Companies are selected based on founder fit, business model readiness, and potential to scale — particularly post-MVP or with early revenue.

Sector Focus: Broad — includes startups in tech, life sciences, consumer products, and other scalable business models.
 Geography: Focused on Winston-Salem and the Piedmont Triad ecosystem (though companies with broader ambitions and some ties to the region are welcome).
Stage: From early revenue/market validation into scaling growth — not strictly pre-seed only. 
Team: Founders committed to scaling with external support and mentor engagement. 

• Initial Intake & Screening: Review of business, team, and stage to determine fit for the incubator’s long-runway model.
• Program Participation: Once admitted, founders receive coaching, mentorship, educational content, and ecosystem connections.
• Investor Readiness Support: Winston Starts often helps startups prepare for fundraising with investor readiness workshops and introductions to funding resources.
Winston Starts is different from a capital-deploying fund — its core value is developmental support and scaling infrastructure rather than direct investment.

Program Support: Mentorship, coaching, educational workshops, and long runway access (up to ~42 months).
 Workspace & Community: Access to office space and extended entrepreneurial community in the Innovation Quarter.
 Investor Preparation: Support with investor readiness and connections to regional funding sources like the Winston-Salem Partners Roundtable (WSPR) Fund and local VCs.