# BRIIA® - The Intelligent Accelerator®

> BRIIA is a San Ramon startup accelerator combining a free progress assessment and custom development plan with paid courses, mentoring, and selective Business AI and Healthcare AI cohorts. It also offers tailored corporate innovation programs, with an emphasis on customer acquisition, category design, and investment readiness.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Headquarters:** San Ramon, United States
- **Founders:** Les Schmidt (Founder and Executive Director), Melissa Ross (Co-founder)
- **Products:** The Intelligent Accelerator® Foundation Program, BRIIA GPS® and Traction Map™, Business AI Advanced Accelerator, Healthcare AI Advanced Accelerator, Corporate Entrepreneurship Accelerator™
- **Notable:** Launched a five-company first cohort in September 2017., Homepage reports 33 graduates collectively raised over $60 million; this is company-reported alumni financing, not BRIIA funding or revenue., Homepage reports hundreds of founders served, over 70 mentors, and 30 courses; other pages show different undated counts.

## Products & services

- **The Intelligent Accelerator® Foundation Program** — Online startup development program with the BRIIA Guided Progress Score, a free custom milestone plan, paid courses, mentoring, templates, and optional service providers. Open entry without an application or upfront equity.
- **BRIIA GPS® and Traction Map™** — Progress questionnaire and maturity framework integrating concepts from Traversing the Traction Gap and Play Bigger. Milestones run from idea through minimum viable traction.
- **Business AI Advanced Accelerator** — Selective six-week cohort focused on B2B AI software customer acquisition, category design, investor communications, and fundraising. Published program page lists a $495 fee and an option to buy up to 20% of a later significant equity round.
- **Healthcare AI Advanced Accelerator** — Healthcare-specific cohort with domain mentors, customer acquisition and fundraising preparation, and progression from MVP toward repeatable business operations.
- **Corporate Entrepreneurship Accelerator™** — Tailored enterprise innovation services: one-day Go/No Go, three-workshop Start Fast, and custom Idea to Money programs.

## Achievements

- Launched a five-company first cohort in September 2017.
- Homepage reports 33 graduates collectively raised over $60 million; this is company-reported alumni financing, not BRIIA funding or revenue.
- Homepage reports hundreds of founders served, over 70 mentors, and 30 courses; other pages show different undated counts.

## Latest updates

- **2022-03** — Held its third annual State of the Startup event, The Exploding Fundraising Menu, on March 31.

## Links

- Website: https://briia.io/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/briia.io/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/BRIIA_IO
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-np2IY_mzBM
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BRIIA.IO/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/briia-the-intelligent-accelerator
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08