Members of the 10 start-ups that are involved in the Startupbootcamp programme in Dublin. Image by Startupbootcamp
Startupbootcamp in Dublin has added a new online competition so the public can vote for their favourite start-up out of the 10 new ventures that are now engaged in its accelerator programme.
Since last February, 10 start-ups have been growing their ventures at Startupbootcamp.
Their three-month programme will finish on Investor Demo Day on 16 May, when the teams will pitch to a panel of more than 100 investors, with the aim of securing follow-on investment.
The 10 start-ups hail from an eclectic array of locations, including four from Ireland, with the remainder having descended upon Dublin from Israel, Brazil, the US, China, Romania, Lithuania and Poland.
Each of the start-ups receive mentoring during their 100 days of incubation at Startupbootcamp, while they also get €12,000 in funding. In return, the programme takes an 8pc equity stake in each company.
Eoghan Jennings, partner with Parklane Capital and former CFO of Xing, is heading up the Startupbootcamp Dublin programme.
To add an extra interactive flavour, Jennings said he had has added the People’s Choice Startup Award before Demo Day.
By visiting the accelerator’s Facebook page, people can watch 30-second videos showcasing each of the start-ups, and vote for their favourite one.
Tech hub
Jennings said the team with the highest number of votes will win the People’s Choice Start-up accolade, as well as securing an extra minute to pitch to the investors on Demo Day.
I happened to stumble upon some of the start-ups involved in Startupbootcamp when I visited their base at The Factory on Barrow Street in Dublin City for an angel investing event last week.
The venue itself is a warehouse that’s poised right in the middle of Dublin’s tech hub, with Google’s European HQ just down the road, for instance. The start-ups get to interact and work in The Factory, which was a recording studio.
And testament to how hands-on he is, Jennings’ desk is poised right in the middle of the new ventures.
Jennings said the People’s Choice Award should be a fun way for each of the teams to showcase their products directly to their real audience in the future, the public.
“We want people to support the teams on their journey to becoming successful global innovators,” he said.
Voting will end on 11 May.
