Bear Grips Pro ShopsHow to Start a Startup Accelerator Merch Shop
- Sign up free, three products live on the free tier covers a pilot cohort
- Logo upload, product selection, retail markup, share link, total time about 45 minutes
- Upgrade to Self-Service VIP for 200 products and lower base prices when scaling past one cohort
- Done-For-You VIP hands the build to an advisor who manages every cohort rollout for you
Starting a startup accelerator merch shop takes about 45 minutes from sign-up to the first product going live. The flow is logo upload, product selection, pricing, and a public shop link. Here is the step-by-step for program directors who want the shop live before next cohort orientation.
Step 1: Sign Up and Pick the Right Plan
Three plan tiers cover the accelerator merch shop use case.
Free ($0/mo, 3 products): Covers a single-cohort pilot. You can run the cohort hoodie, the demo day tee, and one mentor polo on free. Base prices are slightly higher per item.
Self-Service VIP ($59/mo, 200 products): Covers 2 to 4 cohorts a year with full apparel coverage including alumni and PC starter kits. Lower base prices give founders better retail and you better profit.
Done-For-You VIP ($109/mo, 250 products): An advisor handles every cohort rollout. You send the cohort number and logo each batch, the advisor builds the products, sets pricing, and prepares the shop.
Start free for the pilot cohort, upgrade to Self-Service VIP once the shop has more than one cohort live, move to Done-For-You when the program runs 4 or more cohorts a year.
Step 2: Upload Your Program Logo Once
The shop applies one logo across every product, so the upload happens once and rolls forward.
Logo file requirements:
- Transparent background PNG. White or solid backgrounds get printed as visible squares around the logo, which looks broken on every product.
- At least 1500 pixels wide. Smaller files pixelate when printed at chest size.
- Vector source preferred (SVG or AI) for embroidery, though PNG works for screen printing.
If you do not have a clean transparent PNG, the free background remover tool handles the conversion in 30 seconds.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Step 3: Pick Your Anchor Products
For an accelerator merch shop, start with three to five anchor products that cover the cohort, demo day, and mentor moments.
- Cohort hoodie. The flagship.
- Demo day tee. Event-specific shirt for pitch day.
- Mentor polo or quarter-zip. Mentor and EIR gear.
- Snapback or rope hat. Welcome box add-on.
- Founder long sleeve or crewneck. Cold-weather alternative to the hoodie.
Add alumni shirts and PC starter kits later as the shop matures. The Self-Service VIP plan has the headroom for 200 products, which covers years of cohort history.
Step 4: Set Your Retail Pricing and Profit Margin
The shop shows you the base cost for each product. You add a profit number on top, which becomes the retail price founders see at checkout.
Standard markup for an accelerator merch shop:
| Product | Base Cost (VIP) | Added Margin | Founder-Facing Retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight cotton tee | $23.88 | $10 | $33.88 |
| Pullover hoodie | $45.88 | $15 | $60.88 |
| Polo shirt | $34.88 | $12 | $46.88 |
| Snapback hat | $29.86 | $10 | $39.86 |
You can also discount or comp specific items via promo codes for mentors and founders.
Step 5: Share the Shop Link
The shop publishes as a public URL at shops.beargrips.com/your-program-slug. Share it everywhere the cohort, mentors, and alumni already gather.
- Cohort Slack: Pinned message in the general channel.
- Welcome email: Link in the week-zero email to every accepted founder.
- Program orientation deck: Slide with the shop link and a QR code.
- Alumni newsletter: Recurring link in the monthly or quarterly newsletter.
- Mentor onboarding doc: Link in the mentor agreement or kickoff email.
Most orders come in the first 48 hours after the link drops. The remainder trickle in over the cohort cycle. Alumni and PC orders trickle in for years after.
Start Your Accelerator Merch Shop
Free to start, 45 minutes to first product, no minimum and no inventory. Set up before next cohort orientation.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to set up the shop?
About 45 minutes from sign-up to the first product going live. Add another 15 minutes per additional product. The full shop with 5 anchor products takes about 90 minutes.
Can we change the logo or retail price after publishing?
Yes. You can update the logo, the products, and the retail price at any time from the shop dashboard. Existing orders ship with the original details, new orders use the updated details.
What if our program has a unique brand or color palette?
The shop supports full custom branding including custom shop background colors, header logo, and product mockups in your brand colors. The Done-For-You VIP plan handles this for you.
How do we test the shop before sharing with founders?
Place a test order with your own address before sharing the link. The test order produces a real shirt that you receive in a week, so you can confirm the print quality, sizing, and packaging before founders see it.
