Draft:Pre18
This draft appears to contain text generated by a large language model (such as ChatGPT). You cannot use LLMs to generate article content.
LLM-generated pages with certain obvious signs of being machine generated may be deleted without notice. Instead, only summarize in your own words a range of independent, reliable, published sources that discuss the subject. See the advice page on large language models for more information.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
|  |
| Founded | November 2017 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 2026 |
| Type | Startup pre-acceleration program |
| Purpose | Pre-acceleration of early-stage Puerto Rican startups |
| Location |
|
Region served | Puerto Rico |
Parent organization | Parallel18 |
Pre18 was a startup pre-acceleration program in Puerto Rico, operated by the accelerator Parallel18 on behalf of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust. It was created in late 2017 in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria to support Puerto Rican founders at an earlier stage than Parallel18's international accelerator admitted, and to discourage emigration of young entrepreneurs from the island.[1] The program was discontinued in 2026.[2]
Unlike Parallel18's flagship P18 program, which accepted companies from any country, Pre18 was open only to Puerto Rican startups or startups with Puerto Rican founders.[3]
History
Pre18 was announced in November 2017, roughly two months after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, and was promoted under the campaign slogan El boricua se las inventa.[1][4] Sebastián Vidal, then executive director of Parallel18, said the organization had decided to expand rather than pause its activity after the storm: "My view was that we had to double down. This was the time when we needed to have more entrepreneurs."[1] Lucy Crespo, chief executive of the Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust, framed the program as an attempt to change attitudes toward entrepreneurship on the island, saying, "We really need to change the way we have been educating our students to work for someone else."[1]
The initial call sought 20 startups and offered a grant of $20,000; applications closed on January 15, 2018.[1] NBC News reported that 307 companies applied to the first cohort and that 40 were accepted and completed the program; those companies hired 139 employees in Puerto Rico and together reported more than half a million dollars in revenue.[5]
The program ran for seven generations. The grant remained at $20,000 through at least the fourth cohort in 2021, and had risen to $25,000 by the seventh call in 2024, when up to 30 companies were sought.[4][3]
In May 2026, Parallel18 announced that it was winding down Pre18 in favor of what it described as a performance-based investment model.[2] The organization reported that between 2017 and 2025 the program had received 1,744 applications, graduated 213 companies and distributed more than $4.5 million in grant funding, with a survival rate of 78.6 percent, and that 56 alumni companies had subsequently entered P18.[2] These totals are self-reported by Parallel18 and were not independently verified in published coverage.
Program
Pre18 consisted of a 12-week curriculum of business education, mentorship from ecosystem experts, introductions to Parallel18's corporate partners, and periodic progress monitoring, paired with an equity-free grant.[4][3]
Applicants were required to have been operating for less than three years and to have at least a basic working version of their product — functional enough for a pilot or customer demonstration in the case of software, or a 3D-printed prototype or final production drawings in the case of physical goods. The program targeted companies judged capable of rapid growth and export, with a stated preference for technology-based businesses or those with a distinguishing feature.[4][3]
Reception
In a 2018 survey of Puerto Rico's entrepreneurial climate, NBC News described pre18 as Parallel18's effort to reach small local founders, many of them young, whose business ideas emerged from hardships caused by the hurricane; it cited the agricultural venture Cosechas Tierra Viva as an example.[5] The same report quoted Javier Hernández, director of the School of Business Administration at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, who argued that Puerto Rico's support structures remained weakest at the earliest stage of company formation and that programs of this type concentrate on high-growth businesses while "there are stages that are still not covered."[5]
Most published figures on the program's results originate in Parallel18's own annual impact reports and were reproduced in local business media without independent verification. Its discontinuation in 2026 removed the organization's only program restricted to Puerto Rican founders.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Sesin, Carmen (December 27, 2017). "Pre-accelerator offers way to help Puerto Rico-based young entrepreneurs". NBC News. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Parallel18 marks decade with 600 startups supported". News is My Business. May 20, 2026. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Pre18 offers $25K and mentorship to Puerto Rican startups". News is My Business. September 17, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Parallel18 abre convocatoria para la cuarta generación del programa de preaceleración para empresas locales". El Vocero (in Spanish). September 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ^ a b c Acevedo, Nicole; Guadalupe, Patricia (December 7, 2018). "Puerto Rico needs more entrepreneurs. What's being done to help them?". NBC News. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
Content Disclaimer
Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.
- The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
- There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
- It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
- Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
- Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.
- provide significant coverage: discuss the subject in detail, not just brief mentions or routine announcements;
- are reliable: from reputable outlets with editorial oversight;
- are independent: not connected to the subject, such as interviews, press releases, the subject's own website, or sponsored content.
Please add references that meet all three of these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia.