Tabu Launchpad · Cohort 1 · Open Now

Three months.
Real momentum.
The Tabu Launchpad.

The Tabu Launchpad is a founder programme for early-stage builders in taboo categories — sex, femtech, death, addiction/recovery, financial shame. You come in with early signals. You leave with traction.

Apply for Cohort 1 How it works

Takes 5 minutes · No equity taken · 10 spots only

Applications Open
Now accepting
Tabu Launchpad
Cohort 1
Duration 3 months
Time commitment ~4 hrs / week
Cost £400 / month
Equity 0% taken
Cohort size 10 founders max
Format Remote · Online
Apply for Cohort 1

10 spots · First come, best fit

Sound familiar?

You're building something
real — and you don't have to do it alone.

You've got a prototype or early signals — but you're stuck between "this could work" and "this is working."
The realities of the space you're building in are beginning to grate on you. The platform restrictions, the sideways looks, the investors who "get it" but won't back it.
The generic accelerator advice doesn't apply to you. You need people who actually understand your market.
You know the opportunity is real. You just need the right people in the room to help you prove it.
You're not looking for a classroom. You want momentum — a milestone that proves the thing works.
By the end of 3 months

You leave with traction,
not a certificate.

Every founder who completes the Launchpad leaves with something tangible. What that looks like depends on where you are now — but here's what we're building towards.

01
Your first paying customer
A real transaction. Not a letter of intent, not a "when you launch" conversation. An actual customer who has paid, and what you learn from them.
02
A validation milestone
Proof that the core assumption holds — in the form of data, a waitlist, a pilot partner, or a result you can show to anyone who asks.
03
The right partner
Direct connections to investors, operators, and partners who understand taboo markets — and won't flinch at your category.

Every founder who completes the programme is Incubated by Tabu Ventures.

Nicola
Atish
Vaneezeh
Alice
Ben
Janine
Jason
You're in good company
Advisors, operators and investors who've actually built in taboo categories — part of every cohort.
Apply now →
The programme

How it works.

Three months. ~4 hours a week. Each month follows the same rhythm — one expert workshop, office hours with specialists, and a cohort session to work through your specific situation together.

◎
Monthly workshop
A focused session with a practitioner who has built in your category — not a generalist mentor. Led around the month's theme.
◎
Expert office hours
Open slots with specialists relevant to each month's focus. You book the ones that matter for where you are right now.
◎
Cohort sessions
Your cohort of up to 10 founders — people who understand what you're building. Peer accountability, shared learning, real talk.
Month 01
Market — understand the landscape you're in
Who is your customer, really? What are the specific barriers in your category — regulatory, cultural, distribution? Where does the real opportunity sit? This month is about building a clear-eyed view of the market before you try to move through it.
Market workshop Category specialist office hours Momentum target set
Month 02
Product — sharpen what you're building and for whom
What does your product actually need to do to win this customer, in this category? This month focuses on the thing itself — sharpening the core, cutting the noise, and getting in front of real users to test the assumptions that matter most.
Product workshop User research office hours Cohort review session
Month 03
Traction — prove the thing, then tell the story
Drive towards your momentum milestone — a paying customer, a validated assumption, a signed partner. Then prepare for Showcase Day: the moment you present your story to Tabu's investor and partner network.
Traction workshop Investor/fundraising office hours Showcase Day
Is this for you?

The Launchpad is specific
by design.

10
founders per cohort
3
months
~4hrs
per week
0%
equity taken
You're a fit if —
  • You're building in sex & pleasure, femtech, death & grief, addiction/recovery, or financial shame
  • You have a prototype or early signal — not just an idea
  • You can commit ~4 hours a week for 3 months
  • You want real traction, not theory
  • You're open to honest feedback from people who've done it before
  • You're building in an adjacent taboo space not listed above — drop us a note
This isn't for you if —
  • You're still at the idea stage with no prototype or customer conversations started
  • You're building in a mainstream category and just want a programme
  • You're looking for investment only — the Launchpad is a programme, not a fund
  • You can't commit the time — we'd rather you wait for Cohort 2
  • You want a traditional accelerator with a big cohort and generic playbooks
Who's in the room

People who've actually done it
in these categories.

The Launchpad gives you access to an ecosystem of advisors, operators, investors, and partners who have built, backed, or navigated taboo categories. They understand the distribution challenges, the regulatory nuance, the platform restrictions, and the very specific ways taboo businesses have to be built differently.

Nicola
Nicola Telford
Founder & CEO
Atish
Atish, Feeld
Advisor
afterglow
Portfolio · Sex & pleasure
Vaneezeh
Vaneezeh
Venture Partner
Wellbeing by PS
Wellbeing partner
Alice
Alice
Venture Partner
MintCash
Payments partner
Nicola
Nicola Telford
Founder & CEO
Atish
Atish, Feeld
Advisor
afterglow
Portfolio · Sex & pleasure
Vaneezeh
Vaneezeh
Venture Partner
Wellbeing by PS
Wellbeing partner
Alice
Alice
Venture Partner
MintCash
Payments partner
Mélisange
Mélisange
Founder, PERIODT.
Ben
Ben
Product Partner
ELSIE
Community partner
Janine
Janine
Advisor
PERIODT.
Portfolio · Femtech
Astrid
Astrid
Programs Partner
Ale
Ale
Advisor
Mélisange
Mélisange
Founder, PERIODT.
Ben
Ben
Product Partner
ELSIE
Community partner
Janine
Janine
Advisor
PERIODT.
Portfolio · Femtech
Astrid
Astrid
Programs Partner
Ale
Ale
Advisor
Justin
Justin
Technical Advisor
Lilly
Lilly
Founder, afterglow
Jason
Jason
Risk Partner
afterglow
Portfolio · Sex & pleasure
Vaneezeh
Vaneezeh
Venture Partner
Atish
Atish, Feeld
Advisor
+
Your company
Apply to join us
Justin
Justin
Technical Advisor
Lilly
Lilly
Founder, afterglow
Jason
Jason
Risk Partner
afterglow
Portfolio · Sex & pleasure
Vaneezeh
Vaneezeh
Venture Partner
Atish
Atish, Feeld
Advisor
+
Your company
Apply to join us
Questions

Common questions.

Expect around 4 hours per week — one cohort session, one focused work block, and any 1:1 time. We've designed it so you can run the programme alongside building, not instead of it. If you're in a particularly intensive phase of the business, we'll work around that.
Monthly workshops led by practitioners (not generalist mentors), weekly cohort sessions, 1:1 advisory time with Nicola, access to the full Tabu network of operators and investors, and a place in the Showcase Day. We take 0% equity — the fee covers the programme, not a stake in your business.
No. Solo founders are welcome. What matters is that you can commit the time and that the business has forward momentum — not the shape of your team.
No. The Launchpad runs fully online and is open to founders globally. We think the best founders building in taboo categories shouldn't be limited by where they happen to be based.
You become part of the Tabu founder community — with ongoing access to events, the wider Tabu ecosystem, and the Tabu angel syndicate as you grow. And you carry the Incubated by Tabu Ventures badge, which signals to investors and partners that you've been vetted and backed by specialists in your category.
Applications for Cohort 1 are open now. Once we've reviewed applications and confirmed the cohort, we'll confirm the start date with selected founders. There are 10 spots — we'll close applications when they're filled. If you miss Cohort 1, Cohort 2 runs later in the year.
Not ready for the Launchpad yet?
The Tabu community is a space for founders in taboo categories — peer support, shared resources, and a place where nobody flinches at your idea. Join the waitlist and we'll be in touch.
Join the community →
Cohort 1 · 10 spots · Open now

Ready to make
some real progress?

Applications take 5 minutes. We read every one and reply within a week. If you're not sure whether you're a fit, apply anyway — the worst we can say is not yet.

Apply for Cohort 1 →

£400/month · 3 months · 0% equity · Remote