It’s supposed to be a rainy and chilly—in other words, beautiful—fall weekend. And what better way to spend it than making your startup better? Well, okay, you’re right. Coming up with an idea for a new startup is pretty cool, too. But guess what? Grab your blankie and hot chocolate and get to work. Because this weekend could be your great opportunity to make progress on both of those fronts.
For your acceleration
First, for those of you who already have a startup, there are three soon-to-be-closing application periods for you:
SXSW Accelerator 2016 (Deadline: 11:59PM CT on Sunday, November 8, 2015)
The eighth annual SXSW Accelerator startup competition presented by 24/7 Intouch will take place in Startup Village® on Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13. A live audience as well as a panel of expert judges will discover advancements in various sectors of emerging technology.
Since its inception in 2009, we’ve seen 305 companies compete and a whopping 65% of those companies went on to receive combined funding in excess of $2.6 billion (does not include undisclosed grants or angel/seed funding) and 13% have since been acquired by the likes of Google, British Telecom, Huffington Post, Apple, Live Nation, OpenTable, Constant Contact, and Harmon.
For more information or to apply, visit SXSW Accelerator.
Techstars Seattle (Deadline: 11:59PM PT on Wednesday, November 18, 2015)
Techstars is much more than a three-month mentorship-driven accelerator program.
Techstars is for life — our global ecosystem of founders, mentors, investors, and corporate partners work together to create a network of support that lasts throughout your entrepreneurial journey.
We make entrepreneurship accessible by opening doors to capital, mentorship, marketing, business development, customer acquisition, and talent recruitment.
For more information or to apply, visit Techstars.
1776 Challenge Cup Local: Portland (Deadline: 11:59PM PT on Thursday, November 19, 2015)
Each year 1776, a global incubator and venture fund, hosts a worldwide tournament called the Challenge Cup. Together, with our Startup Federation partners, Revolution, the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and over 50 incubator hosts around the world, we’ll discover the most promising, highly scalable startups that are poised to solve the major challenges of our time.
Startups advance through three rounds: Local, Regional and Global Finals. All of the regional winners and a host of wild cards will be invited to participate in the Challenge Cup Global Finals next June in Washington, D.C. There, they’ll compete for over $1 million in prizes, as well as spend time with the investors, customers, media and other key connections that can help them succeed on a global scale.
For your creation
For those of you who haven’t hit upon your startup idea—or who are just curious about what it takes to build a startup—there’s Startup Weekend. In fact, there’s not one Startup Weekend. There are three. All on the same weekend, November 13-15, 2015.
Portland Startup Weekend
The Portland Startup Weekend brings together people with different skill sets (such as developer, designers, and business people) to experience an intense weekend of building a new business.
For more information or to register, visit Portland Startup Weekend.
Startup Weekend Eugene/Springfield
Startup Weekend Eugene/Springfield 2015 will be held at the new Springfield Fertilab from Nov 13-15. Come pitch your business or product ideas on opening night. The top ideas will pick teams to develop a more detailed business plan over the weekend. This is also a great chance to connect with the local startup community, meet with entrepreneurs and listen to some great speakers!
For more information or to register, visit Startup Weekend Eugene/Springfield.
Startup Weekend Corvallis
This region is where startups thrive! From creative enterprises, to software startups, to technology spin-offs from OSU, Hewlett-Packard, and other research centers, the Mid-Willamette Valley has a strong entrepreneurial community.
For more information or to register, visit Startup Weekend Corvallis.
