Are you ready for the Hero Training Program, the ultimate founder program, backed by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper? A program that could take your startup to The Valley this summer for five challenging weeks?
The Draper University Hero Training program in San Mateo, Calif. is the ultimate Silicon Valley accelerator experience, designed to provide founders with the skills, mindset and network to take their ventures to the next level with unprecedented speed and impact.
Draper’s Silicon Summer Pitch Prize competition will select one promising startup to attend the Hero Training program this summer.
We’re looking for innovative & scalable Netherlands-based startups:
• founded less than five years ago
• with software or smart hardware focus
• in customer validation or market entry phase
• transformative & impact-driven.
The winning team gets:
• tuition and on-campus accommodation and co-working space in downtown San Mateo, California, from 6 July through 10 August 2021.
• a five-week entrepreneurship program with eight modules
• numerous speaker sessions, workshops and team activities
• return ticket AMS – San Francisco and transportation from the airport to the Draper University Campus. Value approximately $2,000 from partner Braventure.
The estimated value of the program is $12,000. But the immersive, once-in-a-lifetime experience with startup experts, founders and VC’s, new mentors and friends, personal and professional growth, energy and, yes, the California sun … that’s priceless.
To get there, you compete against other teams, with the live pitch finals on 19 May. The submission deadline: 9 May 2021.
The details:
Startups are invited to submit their pitch decks and motivation letter (both in English) via [email protected] until 9 May. The competition and all related communications are coordinated by Janneke Huijbregts. Any questions concerning the competition, criteria and/or the final event, can be directed to her via [email protected].
The Summer Pitch jury will convene on 10 May and 11 May to evaluate and discuss the submissions, then select the six finalists for the live pitches. All applicants will be notified on 12 May whether they have been selected for the finals.
The finals:
The finals of Draper’s Silicon Summer Pitch Prize will take place live on Wednesday, 19 May in English in front of a jury at the Conference Center on High Tech Campus Eindhoven. The campus has strict COVID-19 measures in place.
The event starts at 16:00 CET and will be hosted by Job Nijs, Managing Director of Braventure.
Each of the six selected finalists is allowed two attendants, one presenter who will pitch on stage and one supporter who can contribute to the Q&A with the jury after the pitch. Each pitch can be no longer than five minutes. The maximum duration of the Q&A after each pitch is ten minutes.
Two representatives of the Draper University will attend the event from San Mateo via live stream.
After the last pitch and Q&A, the jury will deliberate and consult the Draper University representatives for additional input and insights. The winner of Draper’s Silicon Summer Pitch Prize will be announced around 19.30 CET.
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.
As avid supporters and promoters of the Eindhoven region’s distinctive ecosystem for software and smart hardware, High Tech Campus Eindhoven, Braventure and LUMO Labs have joined forces to create unique opportunities for impact-driven emerging tech startups to gain global exposure and traction. Draper’s Silicon Summer Pitch Prize is such an opportunity.
Send your pitch decks by May 9th to [email protected]
About Draper University:
Draper University was founded in 2012 by the legendary Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper with a vision and belief that in order to change the world, we have to change education. Through hands-on training, an innovative curriculum and thought leadership, Tim Draper brings together young entrepreneurs, startup founders, executives and investors all under one roof.
LUMO Labs creates opportunities for impact-driven software and smart hardware startups. The current LUMO Fund II is a €20M impact-driven multi-stage capital fund (pre-seed up to series A). It includes a two-year venture builder program to support its portfolio companies in gaining financial success as well as social traction and impact.
Braventure is a non-profit partnership that offers access to seed capital, knowledge, community and facilities with only one goal: to accelerate Brabant startups. Braventure accelerates knowledge-intensive and innovative companies of the future that generate lasting impact for the Brabant province economy.
About High Tech Campus Eindhoven
High Tech Campus Eindhoven is the smartest km² in The Netherlands, with more than 235 companies and institutes and more than 12,000 researchers, developers and entrepreneurs working on developing future technologies and products. The Campus helps companies accelerate their innovation by offering easy access to high tech facilities and international networks.
Read more about Eindhoven’s tech scene here.
LUMO Labs creates opportunities for impact-driven software and smart hardware startups. The current LUMO Fund II is a €20M impact-driven multi-stage capital fund (pre-seed up to series A). It includes a two-year venture builder program to support its portfolio companies in gaining financial success as well as social traction and impact.
