Armenia Startup Academy is announcing call for applications!
Armenia Startup Academy is focusing on building game-changing entrepreneurship and startup education programs which will armor capable teams with knowledge and skills for building products that customers love. Armenia Startup Academy is a Catalyst Foundation project implemented in the framework of the Support to SME Development (SMEDA) Project, which is co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ’s Private Sector Development in South Caucasus Programme.Catalyst Foundation is established by the founding partners of SmartGateVC for running game-changing programs which will feed the Armenian startup ecosystem with relevant skillsets and a pipeline of capable companies.
Armenia Startup Academy started a call for applications for Spring 2018 batch.
Startup Academy is an immersive pre-acceleration program where capable Armenian startups are pushed to the next level with game-changing curriculum and unique in-house mentorship.In 12-weeks startups get focus and intensity to drive change and build products customers love. The spring batch starts on February 19. We'll introduce more details about the program and its expected results during info session in Hero House at 7pm on Thursday, February 1.
WHY ARMENIA STARTUP ACADEMY?
- FOCUS ON YOU
- DOMAIN EXPERTISE (AI, SECURITY, iOT, B2b)
- SUPPORT OF THE ECOSYSTEM
- PROVEN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INSTRUMENTS
- ACCESS TO NETWORKS IN THE US, EU, AFRICA
- Affiliated SEED VENTURE FUND
PRE-ACCELERATION PROGRAM
STRUCTURE
The program is designed to guide tech companies/teams through the process of customer development using advanced tracking methodologies and instruments. This includes active and continuous process of hypotheses verification in the market. Upon graduation, the teams will have practical understanding of market context for their products and practical steps for the next 6 months. We are very practical
The Fall 2017 batch will consist of weekly lectures/workshops, guest-speaker talks, milestone setting, and weekly evaluation. There will be a competitive component and the teams that do not work hard enough will leave the track.
The teams will be guided and coached to apply to global/regional accelerators and to build relevant partnerships for market validation. The work with teams will include tech, financial, legal, business development and customer development coaching and support. The key components of the program include:
Curriculum
- Practical knowledge & skills
- Customer development & tracking
- Tech architecture coaching
Mentorship
- US & EU based advisors and mentors
- Local seasoned entrepreneurs
- Local & foreign customers
Funding
- Local and EU grants
- Local angels & VCs
- US/EU based angels & VCs
Coworking
- Coworking space
- Vibrant community
- Experience sharing
Admin Support
- Legal counsel
- Financial & tax administration
Curriculum & Training
The curriculum consists of 30+ lectures/workshops in the following 10 modules:
• Team/Founders
• Technology
• Business Model
• Market
• Customers
• Competitors
• Ecosystem
• Investor Interest
• IP & Legal
• Financial
Some of the topics are: Growth Metrics, Unit Economics, Growth Hacking, Internal Communication, Silicon Valley (Startup) Etiquette, Pricing, Lead Generation and Channel Mix, Channel Economics, Inbound and Outbound Marketing, GTM/Launch Strategy, Culture, Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, Hiring, Incorporation, IP, Advisory Term Sheet, Sales Funnel and Leads, Sales Instruments, Handling Objections, Gamification, Organizing Early Sales, Investment Term Sheets, Immigration Law, Cap Table, Stock Options, Startup Accounting, Growth and Product Analytics Tools, Predictive Analytics, Financial Modeling.
Customer Development
Silicon Valley tracking tools will be used for helping startups to track everyday progress towards value creation and efficiency of distribution channels.
Mentorship
The mentorship component of the program will include individual work with the teams by the Academy instructors and entrepreneurial assistants, as well as pairing with foreign and local mentors.
Special focus will be made on B2B business development mentorship with dedicated mentor being in charge for working with the teams.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Key Dates
- January 21: Call for applications
- February 6: Deadline for applications
- February 8 - 11: Interviews
- February 16: Results published
- February 19: Program launch
Shortlisting criteria:
-
individual team members’ track record(25%)
-
complementarity of the team composition (business, tech, other as necessary) (25%)
-
scalability potential (35%)
-
maturity of the startup (15%)
Final selection will be made by the Academy team based on individual interviews.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://www.startupacademy.am/