Google and Blackbox kicks off its summer 2013 program to help jumpstart 8 international startups

Google and Blackbox have teamed up to kick off its 2013 edition of Blackbox Connect, a two-week program that brings international startups to Silicon Valley to offer them resources needed to grow. This year, eight startups chosen by Google for Entrepreneurs are in the San Francisco Bay Area to learn from entrepreneurs, investors, experts, and executives.

Blackbox Connect bills itself as different from other accelerators in that it focuses on bringing startups from outside Silicon Valley to the area. Almost like a Real World episode on MTV, companies will be housed at the Blackbox Mansion and spend the time working to not only jumpstart their startup, but also connecting with other entrepreneur communities.

This year, the eight startups chosen are:

• Inpris (Israel): Creators of an invisible, ergonomic and accessible keyboard.
• Melusyn (France): An iOS app that lets you organize your entertainment production items like sets, costumes, visuals, etc.
• Avocarrot (United Kingdom): A platform for brands and developers to offer real-world rewards in their mobile app
• EgzoTech (Poland): A company building rehabilitation equipment helping people with muscular dystrophy
• Eyedeus Labs (Pakistan): Startup that develops computational photography solutions for smartphones
• TunaCode (Pakistan): Providers of accelerated computing solutions using GPUs, APUs, and CPUs.
• Instabug (Egypt): Instant bug reporting service for mobile applications
• MyDoorHandle (South Africa): A service to help you find people and places

Blackbox has listed the curriculum for this year’s class. It includes sessions on how to avoid the top ten mistakes in your business plan, perfecting your investor pitch, understanding investment options and founder vesting, learning about equity and term sheets, fundraising success stories, setting up an office in the US, and more. But it won’t all be classes and sessions as the Connect program will include events to help get the startups better acquainted with one another and include a demo/pitch event for investors.

The program begins today and runs through July 26.

Photo credit: Blackboard