Las Vegas startup accelerator aims to turn ideas into companies in 3 days

From zero to market in three days.

That is essentially the speed Zero Labs strives to reach in its Innovation Launchpad, which offers intensive three-day programs focused on core Nevada industries like gaming, sports, hospitality, entertainment and emerging technology.

The Las Vegas-based startup incubator and accelerator recently hosted the ninth cohort of the program at its headquarters at UNLV’s Black Fire Innovation.

Zero Labs selected 13 startups from more than 100 applications for a gaming and casino accelerator program that took place Sept. 25-27, the weekend before the Global Gaming Expo. The venture-building and strategic advisory firm founded by Las Vegas entrepreneurs and principals Quinton Singleton and Ryan Rubio has now worked with 145 companies from around the world since launching the program in 2024.

“What we’re trying to do is take what normally is a three-month or six-month program and condense it into three days of very intensive work to basically drive all of their ideas through execution straight to go to market,” Singleton said. “How can we take your idea and get it somewhere where you’re actually executing on that, taking it to market, building a product, raising funds.

“We’re trying to get you moving as fast as possible in whatever direction you need to go, and then we bring in the capital and we supercharge.”

Zero Labs, which connects early-stage founders with industry operators, investors and university research infrastructure, runs the Innovation Launchpad alongside major industry conventions in Las Vegas, most recently G2E and SEI-CON, the leading Sports, Entertainment & Innovation Conference that took place in July.

“Las Vegas is one of the most globally-connected cities in the world, with 120 direct flight locations and (40) million people coming to town. We’ve always thought that the program should mirror that,” Rubio said. “By using the conference calendar this way, we can maximize the chances that most of those people will actually be here. The whole industry’s here for a week.

“So the pitch to them is, fly in a few days early, spend a weekend with some incredible founders, as well as a lot of the folks you already know from the industry, in a good environment, and help us sort of build this thing out. And people have really responded to that.”

Founders applying for the program are asked during a video interview why Nevada matters for their company. Rubio said about half of the companies in the cohorts were already based in Nevada — with 30 percent from other states and 20 percent from other countries — and 30 percent were affiliated with UNLV. He said 76 percent of the companies are still operating and the cohorts have collectively raised roughly $30 million so far since finishing the programs.

‘Lot of excitement’

Sports betting tech startup Odditt founder and CEO Matt Bresler took part in the first cohort and said it made a major impact on him and his company.

“I remember that first cohort vividly. It was a great group of people with a lot of excitement in the room. Ryan, Quinton and the team are amazing human beings and really sharp operators who always have a valuable train of thought to pursue,” he said. “The program gave me the time to kick the tires on my business and its foundation, and to really zoom out and think strategically.”

Bresler said Rubio persuaded him to move from his native Massachusetts to Las Vegas, where he continues to build his company.

“What stands out most is a conversation I had with Ryan toward the end of the cohort,” he said. “I told him I wanted to move out West but didn’t think Vegas was a viable option, because I thought it was all like the Strip. He opened my eyes to how wide a range of living you can have here, and he’s the one who convinced me to move to Vegas.”

The program is free for accepted founders and participants get direct access to subject matter experts, investor meetings, structured workshops and a lifetime alumni network.

‘Game changer’

Besides partnering with UNLV and Black Fire Innovation, Zero Labs also was founded in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and The Knowledge Fund, a state program managed by GOED to build an innovation-driven economy.

“One of the things we realized very early on was there was a real lack of consistent, high-quality deals for investors to invest into,” Rubio said. “We thought the launchpad would be a way to identify that gap and then start to fill it with really high-quality companies.”

The launchpad focuses on the early-stage piece of the startup ecosystem. The program has exceeded expectations, which for the first year were to work with five to seven new startups. It shattered that mark with 65.

“Seeing 65-plus companies in year one through the launchpads was a game changer not only for us and the governor’s office, but also for UNLV,” Singleton said. “It’s quite fascinating because unless you know the industries in the city very well, you don’t think of it as a place to incubate or do new tech or new startups. But it really is.

“When you start identifying startups from around the U.S. and the world and you’re getting into entertainment, you think about Cirque du Soleil. You’re getting into gaming, you think about IGT. You’re getting into hospitality, you think about MGM. Those were all startups. If you just go back far enough in time, you’re going to see this entire ecosystem of startups. … This whole city is based on entrepreneurs going back to the 1920s.”

‘Impact of building a hotel-casino’

Singleton said the cohorts of the Innovation Launchpad — the core piece of Zero Labs — have featured founders ranging from a UNLV master’s student who showed up with an idea written on a napkin to holders of doctorates with patent portfolios developing biotech products.

“Within that wide range, we’re looking for people who are driving within their domain something that might change the vertical that they’re in, whether it’s gaming or biotech or logistics,” he said. “We’re driving a whole new economy here that could, we think, have the impact of building a hotel-casino.

“As we drive more founders and we bring in more venture capital, the net economic effect is just as big as building a casino.”