LAUNCH

Rural entrepreneurship that works.

Actuator is BRIC’s ten-week cohort program for founders building in Vermont. Three cohorts a year. 1:1 mentorship. Connections to capital, customers, and statewide partners — for entrepreneurs from Springfield to Bennington to Boston and NYC.

Apply to Actuator

See upcoming cohorts

106

startups enrolled

$17M+

raised by Actuator companies

650

mentor / coaching sessions

378

technical / training sessions

products launched

165

outreach events · 1,200+ attendees

Ten weeks. Three cohorts a year. Vermont’s most-funded rural founder program.

Structured curriculum on customer discovery, product validation, fundraising, and operations

1:1 sessions with the Mentor-in-Residence and Entrepreneur-in-Residence

Pitch events and demo days with regional investors and customers

Connections to UVM, Dartmouth, Vermont State University, Norwich, and the VT Manufacturing Collaborative

Pathways to advanced manufacturing, AI/ML, food innovation, and software/app development

Three cohorts every year.

Applications open ~8 weeks before each cohort start. Rolling admissions; preference given to early applicants.

WINTER COHORT

Starts January

Applications open in November

SPRING COHORT

Starts April

Applications open in February

FALL COHORT

Starts September

Applications open in July

Support at every stage — not just inside Actuator.

Tech Startups

A playbook for software, hardware, and platform companies in Vermont.

Vermont Business Registration

Incorporation, registration, and operating steps for VT.

Fund Your Startup

Grants, equity, debt, and VT-specific capital sources.

Finding Investors

Angel networks, regional VCs, and the BRIC investor pipeline.

Building a Pitch Deck

Templates, examples, and feedback workflows.

Digital Presence

Site, brand, and content basics for an early-stage company.

MENTOR-IN-RESIDENCE

Nate Larson

ENTREPRENEUR-IN-RESIDENCE

Braden Pan

106 startups. Many still building in Vermont.

Founders, partners, and the program team.

Actuator’s support goes far beyond resources — it fosters a spirit of partnership and growth that has been instrumental to our early successes.

Soumya Roy · Founder & CEO, UpLevel Foods

FOOD INNOVATION

I came to BRIC with an outline and no clear way to pursue my goal of bringing board game manufacturing to Springfield. By allowing their advice and curriculum to shape my idea, I gathered $40K in seed funding and attracted a team of veteran business and manufacturing personalities to begin the launch.

Blackwell Hird · Founder, Blackwell Ink, LLC

ADVANCED MFG

BRIC is a key UVM go-to partner helping advance Vermont’s tech economy and extend the reach of our research efforts into southern Vermont.

Tricia Coates · Director, UVM Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships

RESEARCH PARTNER

Build your company at BRIC.