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Startup Boost Dublin’s upcoming pre-accelerator programme will provide industry insights, hands-on mentorship, guidance and validation to early-stage start-ups.
Startup Boost Dublin has made a final call for applications for its upcoming autumn pre-accelerator programme, which will take place fully remotely to due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The pre-accelerator will begin on 28 September and the team behind it will spend six weeks working with pre-seed and seed-stage start-ups to develop, support and build on their business ideas.
Since the Startup Boost programme was launched in 2017, it has received 2,900 applications from around the globe and has selected 200 start-ups to attend its programmes in Europe, North America, Canada and Africa.
Suzanne Mills, Dublin city’s co-director at Startup Boost, said: “Innovation is core to our nation’s economic success, particularly today. Startup Boost delivers a powerful six-week programme to prepare early-stage start-ups for an accelerator and investment, providing a critical bridge to their next level growth.”
The autumn programme
Between six and eight pre-seed or seed-stage tech teams in Ireland will participate in the upcoming Dublin programme. Prerequisites include having a comprehensive business model, a minimum viable product, and market validation or traction.
Working in tandem with keynote speakers, the Startup Boost city directors will offer participants industry insights, alongside hands-on mentorship, guidance, validation and the necessary resources for building traction. Start-ups participating in the pre-accelerator are not charged any fees and have no equity taken during the programme.
Helen Rea, programme manager, said: “Given the challenges posed by the pandemic, Startup Boost will be run online – a significant upside of this is that it will be easier for start-ups from across Ireland to participate.”
The event will culminate with a demo day, where participants will be given the opportunity to pitch and connect directly with investors and accelerator directors.
Companies also get promoted to investors globally through the Startup Boost virtual demo day, which occurs six week after the programme to allow investors from around the world to view pitches online for a two-day period.
Founding member of the pre-accelerator, Gene Murphy, said: “The benefit of Startup Boost is that it brings a programme to help pre-seed investment teams make the next big step in an under-supported stage to prepare them for accelerators, investment and, most importantly, revenue generation.
“Right now, as the economy is under threat from the fallout of Covid-19, programmes like Startup Boost are critical in helping act as a stepping stone for future entrepreneurs to start their journey.”
Applications for the programme close on 16 September, but until then can be made here.
