For many startups, getting a spot at an accelerator program like Y Combinator or TechStars is like winning the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Accelerators offer a wealth of opportunities that can make the difference between a great idea that doesn’t reach its potential and an idea that leads to an IPO.
We’re used to seeing accelerators work for companies that disrupt travel, payment processing or cloud storage, but what if this model could work outside the scope of the VC mill? What if a little investment, a splash of guidance and hands-on support, a lot of introductions and a lot of faith could be used to help artists in their careers?
That’s exactly what it is Inversion Art tries to do
“Y Combinator changed my life,” Joey Flores, co-founder of Inversion Art, told TechCrunch. “I feel so grateful for the program and I thought if I could do something like this for artists, that would be amazing.”
Flores is a graduate of Y Combinator whose music marketing platform EarBits he graduated from the program in 2010 and sold in 2015. Although Flores is not a professional artist, art is a very important part of his life, and a random comment from a VC in a 2020 conversation set him on the path to finding a way to to support artists who have the motivation and passion to make art their lifelong career but need help to achieve it. As part of his research, he connected with co-founder Jonathan Neal and together they are trying to change the way artists find success and recognition.
“The artist has always relied on other places like collectors, museums and galleries to develop their career and define their success,” Neil said. “We are, in our opinion, the first organization that really sits on the same side of the table with the artist in all of their negotiations and activities and really helps them define success for themselves.”
