Founded in 2015 by a handful of entrepreneurs and the City of Boise, Trailhead is a startup incubator and coworking space committed to equitable and healthy economic development.

First, Trailhead members benefit from each other as well as our network of private industry partners, angel investors, and venture capitalists. We provide the growing startup community a place to connect, find resources, and grow their ideas into tomorrow’s businesses.

In the last few years, alumni like Partner Hero, Killer Creamery, SWYM, Lovevery, Natural Intelligence, and many others started from ideas and grew into viable businesses. These startups secure millions of dollars in funding, attract top talent, and contribute to a vibrant ecosystem in Boise.

In addition to hosting monthly events, Trailhead also organizes large scale events that reach beyond our immediate ecosystem. 

Events include:

Boise Startup Week (BSW) – Idaho’s largest entrepreneurship event with over 60 local partner organizations. Activities include workshops, pitch competitions, panel discussions, networking, and prime time keynotes. In 2019, BSW hosted over 2,600 attendees, over 120 events, and awarded over $50,000 in prize money to early-stage startups.

Trailmix – A partnership with Albertsons to host food and beverage startups to showcase their work, and compete for prize money. In 2019, the Trailmix winner, Orchestra Provisions, won $20,000 in cash, shelf space at Albertsons Broadway Store, and two days at Chobani Global Innovation Center in Twin Falls.

WiSE24 – A global, virtual, pitch competition for women entrepreneurs in the tech industry. In 2019, three women took the Trailhead stage to pitch to an audience of over 1,500 with the majority being investors.

(pictured: WiSE24)

Above all, Idahoans have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and develop amazing ideas from all corners of the state. Conversely, Boise Startup Week and other Trailhead programs have always been hosted in Boise. But, through a recent partnership with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), we are expanding our reach to Eastern Idaho.

Trailhead East @ Idaho National Lab is a new incubator program that will help entrepreneurial researchers at INL. Through various tasks and mentoring opportunities, they will turn their ideas into profitable businesses. Above all, cohort participants will have the unique opportunity to utilize INL’s technologies and leverage Trailhead’s community to commercialize intellectual property. The new cohort in Idaho Falls is launching in early 2020.

In summary, Trailhead is an entrepreneurial support center. We are here to serve people and help turn ideas into products and businesses. Visit www.TrailheadBoise.org to join our growing startup ecosystem.