Amsterdam-based Rockstart Accelerator have opened applications for their 2014 accelerator program and they've been doing a tour around the world to meet international startups. They are visiting 11 cities in total and doing one stop in Italy, in Firenze on December 27-29.
So far, Rockstart has accelerated 20 startups and have had a good track record in the web/mobile space: 70% of their first batch was funded by investors like Greylock, Vitulum Ventures and renowned Dutch angels. One of their success stories is the Milanese startup Pastbook, which raised a total of 500K euros in a seed round in August 2012 and a follow up round in November 2013.
Finn Hansen, the COO of Rockstart Accelerator will spend a couple of days in Italy to meet startup founders in person, give them feedback on their business, information about the accelerator program (if they consider applying) or just have a casual chat with them.
Finn explains why it is beneficial for both startups and accelerators to meet as early as possible and what he is going to do in Italy:
Before you apply for an accelerator, meet the people behind it
We believe that founders should meet the people behind an accelerator before they apply. They should know if they are a good match with them before they prepare a time consuming application. No need to mention that an accelerator as their investor will follow them for the rest of the company's lifetime. It is therefore important to meet the people you’re going to do business with as early as possible to see whether they are a good fit for your company, and there’s enough personal chemistry.
Why we want to meet you
As an accelerator that invests in early stage startups we focus more on the team than the idea, since at this stage the idea can change dramatically. Contrary to Series A and B investors that focus more at revenue, hockey stick growth, CPA and LTV, at Rockstart Accelerator we focus more on the people behind the business. In the end, we do invest in people. When startups apply to our program we invite the 20 finalist teams in Amsterdam for Selection Days to meet them in person and for them to meet the mentors and the accelerator team. Our experience shows that a prior meetup increases the chances of a startup to get accepted in our program.
About the coffee meetups
In one-to-one meetings, we will give you feedback on your business proposition, product and suitability for Rockstart Accelerator. We will also talk you through the program, the application and selection process and what to expect at the end of the program.
We’d love to hear about your product, team and market you’re in, as well as your past (ad-)ventures. We want to find out what drives you, learn about the “why” behind your business and get a taste of your vision.
If you’re planning to apply, you’d like some advice on your startup or just a cup of coffee and a casual chat sign up here
(Startupbusiness members can find additional information in this post inside the community section)
