This article was published on March 27, 2013

TechPeaks has $16.7 million to accelerate up to a hundred startups in the Italian Alps


TechPeaks has $16.7 million to accelerate up to a hundred startups in the Italian Alps

There’s a new startup accelerator in town. And by town, I mean Trento, an Italian city located in the lovely Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige (which covers a large part of the Dolomites and the Southern Alps).

In this beautiful setting, TechPeaks will soon kick off the inaugural program of its so-called ‘people accelerator’.

Created by the Trento RISE Association, in partnership with Trentino Sviluppo, TechPeaks aims to lure cutting-edge tech companies to Trento in an effort to affirm the Trentino province as a “leading smart territory in the global arena of frontline innovation”.

Ultimately, the organizations’ goal is to select and start up an initial 30 ICT business projects, followed by more programs to eventually reach ‘at least’ one hundred projects.

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TechPeaks has 13 million euros (roughly $16.7 million) to spend, and has partnered with other European accelerators and a number of universities to try and build a solid tech ecosystem in the Italian Alps.

TechPeaks says it’s set up and funded for the next four years.

What’s unique about the accelerator is that both individuals and teams can apply, even if they come with nothing but a toothbrush and an idea.

The accelerator offers selected participants 6 months of free food, housing and office space in Trentino, visa support, pocket money, access to 40 mentors from all over the world, connections to the local tech university and research center and its own international network, as well as its partnering startup accelerators and other investors.

The latter group includes international accelerators like Seedcamp, Founder Institute, Mind The Bridge and iCatapult.

On a financial level, selected participants get to pitch for a 25,000 euro, non-equity grant. After the program, TechPeaks offers alumni up to 200,000 euros in matching funds when startups attract other investors.

If all this sounds like music to your ears, we’ve got some good news: you can apply for the first TechPeaks until 5 April.

The first phase of the program lasts six months, starting from May 30, 2013 until November 30, 2013.

Below is a video showing one of TechPeaks’ mentors, LDV Capital’s Evan Nisselson, pitching the new accelerator.

Top image credit: Thinkstock

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