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.
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.
The shop applies one logo across every product, so the upload happens once and rolls forward.
Logo file requirements:
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.For an accelerator merch shop, start with three to five anchor products that cover the cohort, demo day, and mentor moments.
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.
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.
The shop publishes as a public URL at shops.beargrips.com/your-program-slug. Share it everywhere the cohort, mentors, and alumni already gather.
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.
Free to start, 45 minutes to first product, no minimum and no inventory. Set up before next cohort orientation.
Start FreeAbout 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.
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.
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.
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.
Bear Grips Pro Shops