USI Startup Centre’s Post

Last Friday, around 2 am, I envisioned hosting the largest startup conference in Boston. IDEA: Northeastern University's Venture Accelerator hosts the annual Pitch-A-Thon: The Beanpot of Ventures, where universities across the Greater Boston Area showcase the best late-stage startups founded by undergraduates. More than 400 students came out, but my goal is to reach over 1,000 attendees. I asked myself, is it possible? I've never stepped foot on the Boston campus, and here I am thinking of hosting a large-scale event. Reflecting on my time in Oakland, I realized I hosted a hackathon in less than four months with over 100 attendees, organized a lunar new year event in two months despite numerous obstacles and had over 400+ attendees, put together the first demo day with a cohort of 30 students pitching, and much more. Yes, it’s possible. I don’t care how dramatic it sounds-I will execute, and I will get it done. But I need YOUR HELP. Calling all students, leaders, and founders to connect and let's make this happen! Let's gather our resources, share our expertise, and make Pitch-A-Thon the biggest startup conference in Boston. Together, we can create an event that uplifts undergraduate founders and showcases their incredible potential.

Harvard Innovation Labs 2024 demo day! 🎇 I had the opportunity to participate in the current run of the Harvard Innovation Labs, assessing 26 startups as a potential investor. I can't share details about these companies, but I can tell you what I appreciate about this event. 1️⃣ First of all, I would like to emphasize the digital format of this event. You can choose your location and time when ready for a big load of innovation. However, after you watch a 3-minute pitch, you can't go back and must decide immediately whether you want to proceed with contact with the startup or not and move to the following startup pitch. 2️⃣ All of these startups share a common trait - they have big ambitions to solve, if not a global issue, at least a significant problem for a certain continent. Thank you to Aneta Klímová & Hi for giving me this opportunity 🙏

⏰ Calling Startups! - Tomorrow is the last day to apply for the last GovTech Connect Boot Camp, run with the support of the European Commission! ⏰ Central Eastern European startups with a focus on public sector impact should seize this opportunity to apply before the 20th June deadline - it should only take 10 minutes! 🧩 As the first EU-wide programme specifically designed for GovTech startups, the Boot Camps aim to equip early-stage tech startups with the skills, tools, and network to develop solutions addressing critical European challenges. 🚀 With over 40 startup alumni from across Europe, this final Boot Camp is particularly focused on startups offering smart city solutions that can drive the digitisation of the public sector and support the green transition. 🗓️ Running virtually this September-October, the Boot Camp offers an unparalleled opportunity to advance your startup and make a significant impact. Learn more below and apply by 20th June ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gNv99UaW #GovTechConnect delivered by Intellera Consulting, PUBLIC, The Lisbon Council & Politecnico di Milano, with the support of the European Commission

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮! 🚀 Many startup founders face two major hurdles while organising hackathons: 📈 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀: Organizing a hackathon involves significant expense. ❗ 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲: Successful hackathons require specialized knowledge in program management, participant engagement, and technical mentoring. At Where U Elevate, for the past 2 years we have provided the access of #hackathons to more than 𝟱𝟬+ 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 and helped them initiate their innovation journeys by engaging them with the 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. With Where U Elevate you can: 𝟭) Engage and 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 aligned with your company 𝟮) Get your 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 solved through hackathons 𝟯) Take your 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 amongst the youth of the country Let’s 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and bring the power of hackathons to every corner of the startup ecosystem. Ready to elevate your startup with a hackathon? Let’s connect! To know more, DM me or connect with Parag Sharma or email us at: sales@wuelev8.tech Rishab Ilwadi Sangya Srivastava Santosh Maurya Sunil Kumar #Hackathons #Startups #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #WhereUElevate

"Riga Startup Ecosystem Support Program" and "Accelerator and Incubator Support Program" are two initiatives designed to provide organizations with essential resources to develop activities and events that foster startup growth in our vibrant city. 🚀 1. Startup Ecosystem Support Program aims to strengthen #Riga’s startup ecosystem by providing financial aid, mentorship, and access to a network of industry experts through various activities like conferences, networking events, hackatons and others: https://lnkd.in/dKUuJitF 🌟  2. Accelerator and Incubator Support Program is co-finansing organizations whose daily work is related to startup development. Those organisations offer a comprehensive package with state-of-the-art facilities and access to a network of seasoned mentors and investors. It’s designed to help both new and established startups refine their #business models and scale their operations: https://lnkd.in/dP3crfPb Though applications for both programs are closed, we have great news for current participants—new funding has been transferred to fuel even greater growth! #BusinessSupport #Innovation #EcosystemSupport

MassChallenge is the first mainstream tech startup accelerator to bring #DisabilityTech into programming. We want to reach ALL entrepreneurs with the importance of accessibility and inclusive design (breadth) while supporting founders focused on #DisabilityTech products (depth). Simply put, our mission is to #AccelerateAccessibility. For breadth, the #HoweInnovationCenter at Perkins School for the Blind will lead an Inclusive Design seminar later this summer for all 128 startups in this year's cohort, with Accessibility 101, Inclusive User Research, and product usability feedback from people with disabilities all on the agenda, powered by our marketing leading accessibility consulting practice Perkins Access. Let's make Boston the most accessible tech sector in the world, starting with awareness of its importance in our founder development. Accessibility is an afterthought for most people in tech; which is why 96% of the internet is still not accessible. This is why we are meeting business leaders earlier in their entrepreneurial journeys, with the hopes of making accessibility as important as privacy, security, and stickiness in product development. For depth, over 50 #DisabilityTech startups applied to this year's MassChallenge program. Congratulations to the 6 #DisabilityTech startups accepted into the 2024 cohort! With much fanfare, here they are below: Ahoi! is designed for the limited mobility community by the limited mobility community, helping people find the places that meet their specific needs, whatever those needs may be. (Chris Beissel & Jake Haendel) Cami.healh is the air traffic controller of your disabled child's care (Olivia Adams) Seleste is building smart glasses for people with vision loss. (Shubh Mittal, Sunwoo Choi) We Hear You, Inc, is developing innovative and creative solutions to persistent accessibility problems, starting with a sign language translator aimed at bridging the communication gap between the deaf and the hearing communities. (Pierre Paul) XR Navigation is building the world’s most inclusive visual, auditory, and tactile digital map viewer and editor. (Brandon Biggs) Vessl Prosthetics empowers amputees through prostethic innovation. (Sydney Robinson, Oleksiy Zaika) Want to learn more? Reach out to Howe's Senior Manager of Innovation Programming (extraordinaire) Kevin O'Reilly or email us at innovation@perkins.org #AccelerateAccessibility #DisabilityTech #A11Y

🫨 What a week it was! Before getting into the weekend, what about a quick summary of some things that we have been up to at Aalto Startup Center? Here it goes! 🇰🇷 We hosted a delegation from Jeju Island (South Korea) who visited us wanting to learn more about our work with startups. Thank you Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Office of Education for coming! 🧑🚀 On Monday, the fantastic team from ESA BIC Finland organized an Info Webinar so potential applicants could get their questions answered. Deadline is next Friday, you still have some time to apply and take your startup to space. 💥 Later in the week, it was time to run the info session for startups wondering about what the Business Generator Accelerator Program is all about. The application period closes next Wednesday! Thank you to everyone who joined us for the sessions, we can not wait to work together and reach new levels of success together. ➡️ Interested to join our community? Everything you need to know (including more information about the current open calls) here: startupcenter.aalto.fi #fromideastoimpact #startupaccelerator #finnishstartups #deeptech #esabicfinland

📣 Applications are open for Startup Camp: #deeptech 2025 🚀 Chalmers Ventures is looking for researchers who want to explore the commercial potential of their research-based ideas in #deeptech. Curious about how to turn your research-based idea into a successful startup? Not sure where to begin? No problem! Join us and like-minded teams for a four-session track where we’ll cover the essentials of going from lab to market. See the link in the comments! 👇 ⭐️ Individual and group-based business coaching ⭐️ A blend of theory and practical experience ⭐️ Develop your skills for presenting your idea ⭐️ Learn from others and understand what it takes to run a startup ⭐️ Connect with like-minded people and discover Chalmers Ventures as a long-term partner ///// Application requirements 🙋🏽♀️ Team At least one person with the drive to explore the commercial potential of the idea and the commitment to actively attend the Startup Camp track. Connection to the Västra Götaland region is required. 🔬 Technology The idea/project must be based on unique technology resulting from research developed at a West Swedish university. You and your team should have clear ownership rights to the idea (consult your innovation office if needed). 💫 Potential Your solution should target a global market and hold the potential for positive impact on both national and global scales. Check out our webpage to learn more! #chalmersventures #startupcamp #chalmers #deeptech

Do you have a research based idea and are you curious to explore commercialisation as an exciting tool for generating societal value? Then join our fourth edition of Startup Camp #deeptech and let's take the next steps together! :) You can expect: ⭐️ individual and group coaching from experience business coaches ⭐️ introduction to practical tools ⭐️ inspiration from peers ⭐️ concrete feedback on possible steps forward for your research based idea. Read more and apply through the link below. Chalmers Innovation Office, Chalmers University of Technology, University of Gothenburg

Remarkable Tech 2024 Accelerator - For More Inclusion + Accessibility for All BRAVO to Remarkable Tech 2024 US Accelerator Cohort's of companies and leaders who are creating businesses that will help global citizens with and without disabilities. Check out these companies and leaders (from Molly Lazarus (Levitt)'s post yesterday): Making Space - Keely Cat-Wells; Sophie Morgan Leantime (Techstars '23) - Gloria Folaron; Marcel Folaron; WheelPad L3C - Julie Lineberger; RJ Adler; Luella Strattner We Hear You, Inc - Pierre Paul; Bethanie Couri,; Jamal Stevenson; Big Karma - Pascal Clarysse Shout-out to Remarkable Tech's Molly Lazarus (Levitt) and 🍇 Emma Earley who run the US and global accelerator cohorts that are leveling up next-gen disability tech companies to build a more inclusive and accessible world. As a Business Mentor, I can't wait to meet with one or all these start-ups. #RemarkableTech #2024Accelerator #AccessibilityHelpsEveryone