Want to spend 3 months in Belfast and 3 months in San Francisco building your startup? Apply now for IgniteNI 2019! 🚀
Does the following describe you?
- Building a technology startup? 💻
- Already have a product built and/or early traction? 📈
- Want to raise £250,000-£1,000,000 in the next 12 months (or you want to bootstrap to scale)? 💰💰💰
- Would like to meet VCs and Angel investors in San Francisco, N.Ireland, Dublin and London? 🌉
- Want to join a 3 month programme to get feedback and advice from experienced founders and operators across the US and UK? 🤯
- Would like the option of spending 3 months in San Francisco with office, travel and accommodation costs covered? 😮
- You’re based in N.Ireland or able to relocate to Belfast for March-May 2019? 🏢
Yes? Read on…
What is the IgniteNI Accelerator?
The IgniteNI accelerator is a 3 month programme (run by Ignite who’ve invested in 150+ companies across the UK since 2011 and backed by Invest NI), based in Belfast N.Ireland, where we invest £15,000 into ten high potential technology startups.
Over the three months (March-May 2019) we’ll help you to take your company to the next stage with:
- £15,000 convertible loan
- Mentoring from experienced startup founders to develop the strategies that will help you become a scale-up
- Workshops with incredible operators (from companies like Monzo, Intercom, Digital Ocean and more) to develop the skills necessary to start scaling (and learn how they did it)
- Meetings with top tier VCs and Angels to raise the investment needed to put all your plans into action
- Trips to San Francisco, London and Dublin to develop your network of founders, investors and advisers
- The option of spending an additional 3 months post-programme (September — November 2019) in San Francisco with office space, travel and accommodation costs covered
Wait! San Francisco? 3 Months? Costs covered? 🧐
Yes.
In our experience raising from US investors or launching in the US market can be transformational for European startups, but it’s also incredibly difficult to get your foot in the door and decide whether it’s a viable option.
With the support of Invest NI we’ve developed an extension to the IgniteNI accelerator programme that we’re calling the US Landing Pad. The idea is that we can give founders a helping hand to explore the possibility of raising from US investors and what would be required to launch in the US.
The support is designed to help one founder from up to 5 companies each year travel to the US for the purpose of research and meetings. Those founders will each receive:
- A desk in a dedicated Landing Pad office in San Francisco for 3 months (September to November 2019)
- £5,000 grant towards travel and accommodation costs
- Introductions to key founders, mentors and investors in SF and Silicon Valley
- Continued support from the IgniteNI team
If there are more than 5 companies from each programme who want to join the landing pad then we’ll select those that we feel will best benefit from the programme, and who have made the most progress during the 3 months in Belfast.
Sounds Amazing. How do I Apply?
Head over to F6S and get applying, or if you’d like to chat to us first then reach out to hello@igniteni.com and we’d be happy to answer any questions you’ve got.
FAQ
- What does the 12 week programme involve? The Ignite accelerator programme has been refined over more than a dozen cohorts to provide the right support for each company that joins us. You’ll work with seasoned entrepreneurs to refine your concept, develop new growth strategies and create a successful investment proposal. As well as the US trip we’ll also spend time in London and Dublin meeting with our network of experienced entrepreneurs, operators and investors who will share their knowledge and network with you.
- What dates will the programme run? The IgniteNI accelerator will run from Monday 4th March 2019 to Friday 31st May 2019. The landing pad will run from the beginning of September to the end of November 2019.
- Is the programme full-time? Yes, we expect all founders of companies accepted on the accelerator to be working out of the Ormeau Baths in Belfast for the duration of the programme.
- Can you help with Visas for founders to work in the UK? We are one of the accredited Tech Nation seed programmes that helps fast track visa applications, but you will need to be responsible for handling your own applications.
- How will you help the companies raise investment? At the end of the programme we’ll organise a series of lunches that will bring the CEO of each company together with the most active early stage angels and VCs from across the UK and Europe. The lunches give the founders and investors an opportunity to learn more about each other and see if there’s an opportunity to work together. Investors at recent lunches include Passion Capital, Balderton, Techstars, 500 Startups, DN Capital, Forward Partners, ADV, Northstar, Backed.vc, Episode 1 and ProFounders along with a number of early-stage UK angels.
- How does the US Landing Pad work? There is funding available for 5 companies from each years programme to join the US landing pad. If there are more than 5 companies who’d like to take the opportunity then the IgniteNI team will make a selection based on who would get the most value from the experience and has made the most progress during the initial 3 month programme. The landing pad will run from September to November 2018 and each team selected will receive access to workspace in San Francisco for 3 months, and a £5,000 grant towards the cost of travel and accommodation. The purpose of the trip is to make new connections with potential investors and mentors and to evaluate the future possibility of launching in the US.
- What Office Space do companies get in Belfast? All companies joining the IgniteNI accelerator will get desk space in the Ormeau Baths coworking space for 9 months from the start of the programme. Being surrounded by a community of like minded entrepreneurs is incredibly important for a growing company, and you’ll be in good company at the Ormeau Baths.
- What are the investment terms? There’s a convertible loan of £15,000 available for all companies taking part in the programme provided by Invest NI. The terms of the loan are incredibly founder friendly, and you only have to start repayments once your company reaches £1M in annual revenues. For companies who have already raised, or who are revenue generating then it’s up to you whether you take the investment or not.
- Are there any fees to pay as part of the programme? No — there is nothing to pay — you’ll receive the full £15,000 investment with no deductions, and we don’t take any commission on funds raised post-programme.
- Is there any assistance for companies from outside of N.Ireland? For companies moving to Northern Ireland there is an additional £5,000 loan available to help with the costs of moving and accommodation. This is subject to the same founder-friendly terms as the core investment.
- Do we have to pay for the US trip during the programme? As part of the programme we’ll pay for one founder from each company to travel to the US to meet investors, mentors and founders. We’ll cover the costs of flights and accommodation — you just need to cover the cost of your coffee and pizza. Additional members of the team are welcome to join us, but you’ll need to cover their costs.
Ready to Apply?
Fill in this form and tell us what you’re working on, or if you’d like to chat to us first then reach out to hello@igniteni.com and we’d be happy to answer any questions you’ve got. Deadline for applications is Midnight on Sunday 20th January.
