Hello friends, family and investors! Edward Cruz, Go For Vertical Founder and CEO here, with an update and also some hopefully useful information for you about Go For Vertical, and how we do what we do (and why we're glad you want to invest). We realize that many of you want to learn more about how we work with tech startups, so this post is for you.

First, an update: we've gotten a great response about our new immersive programming that we've launched this year in Arizona, and with your help are now taking nationwide, starting with Silicon Valley, Austin, and Washington DC. 

In just the last week we've onboarded four new startups in both Tucson and Phoenix, and are forging ahead with them on our program path that takes them from validation to funding, to tech development and launch.

So you may be wondering: how does it all work?

Our Vertical process starts with CLIMB, which is an immersive program for early-stage startups. It's where we take a new startup concept and put it through its paces. Can the founder's idea can gain real, compelling traction? We use Vertical to find out. If it does, we’ll help them work with investors, and set the stage for turning their idea into a market-ready, world-changing venture. 

CLIMB accomplishes this by putting each startup through rigorous market and product validation. If the startup can hit these two high benchmarks and gain funding, then we can build their technology and take them to market in our SUMMIT program. (More about that in my next post.)

What I love about CLIMB is that it casts a wide net everywhere that we work, and that it can help many, many startups with this incremental and accessible approach to going to market. Not every tech accelerator works this way, and in fact many of them turn away most of the startups that apply to them. We're proud that we're able to help more promising founders and startups with our unique programming that lets the market decide if they will succeed or not, and brings investors to the table for those that can.

In Phoenix alone, there are as many as 450-500 startups that are ready for this new type of programming. We're excited to see it working here already, and with your help to take it to an even larger, national audience.

Best,

- Edward