CCI Accelerator
About the program · 1 linked sources
The CCI Accelerator is a cybersecurity-focused accelerator program operated by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) at Virginia Tech. It offers two funding tracks: CATAPULT (for teams from Virginia public research universities) and ASCEND (for startup teams collaborating with faculty subject matter experts).
The program provides up to $75,000 per project (maximum 8 projects total) and runs for approximately 5 months. Key components include an NSF I-Corps regional program for customer discovery, business development workshops, legal sessions, roundtables with the DMV cybersecurity ecosystem, and pitch preparation. The program culminates with pitches to cybersecurity investors at the Accelerate Investor Conference in Arlington.
Eligible teams include faculty PIs, entrepreneurial leads, and graduate students from Virginia's public research universities. The program includes three mandatory in-person events and weekly virtual workshops.
Also known as: Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Accelerator, CCI+A
How we know this: the figures on this page come from the linked sources (last verified 2026-06-24); what those sources do not state is left unknown.
Key numbers
Funding range
$75,000
Equity
None
Application
Annual
Statewide
Last activity
2026-06-24
High confidence
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