Origin Story

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VentureSCALE's Origin Story

In the spring of 2017, we set out to solve a problem: the fact that the revenue leaders & teams from Chicago's fastest-growing, well-funded tech companies didn't have a place to call their own.  These Series A+ companies were growing fast, and needed help...from training to recruiting help to advise to peer connections and everything in between. 

 

But nothing existed for them.  So we solved the problem: Enter Sales Assembly. 

 

And as the Sales Assembly brand grew, we consistently got contacted by or introduced to founders of smaller, early-stage tech companies who were also looking for help in the area of sales and revenue...but a different kind of help.  They didn't need help EXPANDING their revenue org like the companies we worked with at Sales Assembly.  Instead, they needed help BUILDING it, from the ground up.  We knew Sales Assembly's model was not designed to help companies do that, and in looking around, we realized there was not a good, effective solution for us to refer these companies to. 

 

So, we set out to solve another problem: the fact that early-stage companies usually have to figure out sales & revenue on their own, hire an expensive VP of Sales (likely way too early than they should), OR engage with high-priced consultants. 

 

None of these options were good.  So we solved this problem, too.  Enter VentureSCALE. 

 

To date, VentureSCALE has concluded 3 cohorts, consisting of 21 outstanding early-stage B2B tech companies.  And as we enter our 2020 year (Cohort IV), we've expanded from just a program for companies local in Chicago, to a national accelerator that welcomes promising ventures from all over the country. 

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We're bullish on the grit, determination and smarts of early-stage founders, and excited for the opportunity to work with them every day in their missions to build game changing companies.