Lean Startup Machine bootcamp to make Belfast debut

22 May 2014

Kerry McCorkell, director, contracts and technology, Tughans law firm, Niall Casey, director, skills and strategy solutions, Invest NI, and Lean Startup Machine organiser Diane Roberts of Xcell Partners

Belfast will welcome the Lean Startup Machine (LSM) bootcamp for aspiring start-ups this June, as the city won the vote to be the next location of the event by a considerable margin.

The event takes place from 20-22 June and will aim to provide a new avenue to test start-ups’ ideas and products with customers. LSM is also marking its first time on Irish shores.

LSM, which is headquartered in New York, is aimed to help entrepreneurs gain feedback and early stage revenue from their first products and is based on the lean start-up methodology, which works to help early stage businesses quickly develop and capitalise on a product or service.

So far, a number of high-profile mentors have agreed to take part in the bootcamp, including Andy McCartney from Microsoft Ventures, co-founder of Javelin.com Grace Ng, and Mark and Diane Roberts from Xcell Partners, the latter of which is organising the Belfast event.

Diane Roberts said Lean Startup Machine is one of the world’s leading workshops of its kind and aims to teach participants a process for discovering which ideas or products will succeed in the marketplace and which won’t – like an intense fitness bootcamp for businesses.

“We are delighted to be able to offer the 48-hour event to the many inspired start-ups we have here in Northern Ireland and invite anyone with an idea to come along and get their business validated!” she added.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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