Category: Case Study
Partner Type: Program Manager
Organization: Leading Cities
Website: leadingcities.org
About Leading Cities
Leading Cities accelerates planetary sustainability by bridging innovators and governments to build sustainable, resilient, climate-positive communities. Through programs like QBE AcceliCITY (consistently ranked among the top 3 GovTech accelerators globally), AcceliGOV, LaunchPad 11, and Leading Cities Academy, the organization helps solutions move from idea to city deployment.
By the numbers:
- 575+ startups supported
- $1.5B+ in revenue earned by portfolio companies
- 291 patents across their community
- $2.2B+ raised by portfolio companies
- A global community of city leaders, mentors, and investors
The Challenge
Leading Cities needed a platform that went beyond basic program coordination. Their previous solution, Accelerator App, had persistent calendar integration issues for events and offered limited built-in tools for the founders in their cohorts. The team wanted to provide more hands-on value to founders without adding more operational complexity.
The Solution
Leading Cities adopted Startup Science as their program delivery platform, going live in June 2025. The integration gives their team and their founders access to:
Activities tab (Org-to-Founder workflows): Tasks, deadlines, and touchpoints are organized and visible in one place, keeping both the Leading Cities team and their cohort founders aligned on what needs to happen and when.
Tools library (TAM/SAM/SOM, Market Sizer): Founders get hands-on, decision-grade planning tools built directly into the platform where they learn and engage. No separate logins, no extra software.
Centralized curriculum and communications: Program modules, announcements, and resources live in one place. Less friction for the Leading Cities team to manage, simpler for founders to follow.
The Results
Even in the early stages of the rollout, Leading Cities is seeing measurable improvements in founder engagement and program delivery:
- Clearer deadline sharing: Founders track event dates and deliverables more easily through the Activities tab.
- Higher weekly engagement: Approximately 50% of the cohort is active on the platform each week.
- Practical tool adoption: Founders are actively using Market Sizer to quantify their opportunity and sharpen go-to-market decisions.
What Leading Cities Says
"Startup Science lets us go beyond program coordination. Our founders now have practical tools, like TAM/SAM/SOM and Market Sizer, right where they learn and engage. It's simpler for our team, clearer for our entrepreneurs, and we're already seeing about half the cohort active weekly."
Ava Halstead
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Leading Cities
Why This Partnership Matters
For Startup Science, Leading Cities represents a meaningful signal. Their credibility in the smart-city and GovTech space, their access to a large and engaged global community, and their commitment to continuous improvement make them an ideal co-building partner.
For Leading Cities, Startup Science provides a platform that keeps innovating, a team that is receptive to feedback, and founder-first tools that compound value over time.
Ready to See What Startup Science Can Do for Your Program?
If you run an accelerator, incubator, or support program and want to deliver more value to your founders without adding operational complexity, we should talk.
