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SparkLabs Group, the network of accelerators and venture capital funds that has already worked with more than 200 startups around the world, wants to promote the next generation of entrepreneurs with a new program aimed at universities. Called SparkLabs Frontier, the first accelerator of the program will be launched at Arizona State University this summer.
SparkLabs Frontier-ASU is open to participants of university programs, including Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, W.P. Carey School of Business and the Thunderbird School of Global Management, as well as alumni. He will begin receiving applications on May 13th. The accelerator program will begin in July 2019.
Unlike other SparkLabs accelerators, SparkLabs Frontier-ASU will feature a pre-accelerator component of three to four months, with training (provided in partnership with the Global Scaling Academy) to help students and other potential candidates develop ideas. co-founders. This is intended to prepare them to apply for the main acceleration program, which will accept six to eight startups at a time. SparkLabs Frontier-ASU also involves the creation of a 30% stock option versus 10-20% for start-ups.
In an email, SparkLabs Group The co-founder, Frank Meehan, said the network wanted to work with ASU because of its achievements under the presidency of the university, Michael Crow (who, as executive vice president of the university from Columbia, had taught another SparkLabs co-founder, Bernard Moon).
"The ASU has become the most innovative school in the United States, has progressed rapidly in national rankings of research, leading for the first time a NASA mission in the field of large spaces and has strongly integrated the entrepreneurship on campus and in schools, "he said. With Arizona's relations with the automotive and space industries, SparkLabs Frontier-ASU will focus on "the vast arena of advanced technology, advanced technology as some call it," added Meehan . "So we're going to focus on AI, autonomous driving, materials science, space, augmented reality, genomics, drones, and other areas." advanced innovation. "
While recent classes of SparkLabs in other accelerators are now more often attracting later-stage seed or A-series companies, SparkLabs Frontier-ASU will be "sharper, earlier and more convenient," said Meehan. "The pre-acceleration program will consist of developing ideas, talent and teams, so we do not expect these people to have co-founders or colleagues at this stage."
SparkLabs Frontier-ASU will be launched with an advisory panel featuring a list of recognizable names, including author scientist Steven Johnson, MC Hammer, Barry Munitz, Chancellor Emeritus of California State University, and Mozilla's Director of Innovation. , Katharina Borchert. Chris Yeh, Jimmy Lin, Jen Millard and Jared Carney are among its venture capital partners.
SparkLabs Frontier has also begun discussions with major US, Chinese and South Korean research universities for future programs.
In a prepared statement, ASU President Michael Crow said: "Entrepreneurship for ASU means partnerships and alliances, but also motivating ideas, technologies and inventions that matter and that will have a real impact. Partnerships like this one with SparkLabs Group will advance innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit, which is necessary for the continued success of the state, the country and the world. "
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