This spring presents the opportunity for software and smart hardware start-ups to win a golden ticket to the five-week Draper University Hero Training program in San Mateo. This “ultimate Silicon Valley accelerator experience” – as it is called by the initiators – is designed to provide founders with the skills, mindset, and network to take their ventures to the next level.
Draper’s Silicon Summer Pitch Prize competition is the result of a partnership between LUMO Labs, Draper University and LUMO Labs’ local ecosystem partners Braventure and High Tech Campus Eindhoven.
The partnership underlines Draper University’s commitment to connecting and supporting global innovation hubs as well as their emphasis on diversity and inclusivity concerning the program’s participants.
Draper University was founded in 2012 by the legendary Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper with a vision that in order to change the world, we have to change education. Tim Draper brings together young entrepreneurs, start-up founders, executives, and investors all under one roof.
As avid supporters and promotors of the Eindhoven region’s distinctive ecosystem for software and smart hardware, High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Braventure and LUMO Labs have made it a habit to join forces to create unique opportunities for impact-driven emerging tech startups to gain global exposure and traction.
“Tim Draper may not be a name that sounds familiar to everyone, but as an investor, this is truly one of the icons of our time”, says Andy Lürling, Founding Partner LUMO Labs. “It’s typical of HTCE and Braventure that an opportunity like this leads to a concrete collaboration with lightning speed. I’m glad that thanks to our people in California, we can make these kinds of connections.” Job Nijs, Director Braventure, added: “We are happy that with this contest we can connect the Brabant start-up community to international top investors and their networks. We look forward to giving one of our top talents the opportunity to take on this adventure.”
The competition
Startups are invited to submit their pitch decks and motivation via [email protected] until May 9. The competition and all related communication are coordinated by Janneke Huijbregts. The jury will convene on May 10 and 11 to evaluate and discuss the submissions and will select the six finalists for the live pitches on May 19 in presence of the jury, at the Conference Center High Tech Campus.
The focus of the jury will be on two aspects:
- Innovation, business case, scalability, and potential impact of the venture.
- Energy, motivation, and commitment of the founder or designated team member who will be cashing in the golden ticket.
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