Startup bootcamp: Not your old school incubator

With Tim’s short piece on startups escaping across the pond, I decided to take a quick look at the latest startup accelerator in Europe: Startupbootcamp.

I do mentorship for various programs, and this one has really done some amazing things to get up and running. Startupbootcamp was started by Rainmaking, a group in Denmark dedicated towards helping get companies off the ground and rolling.

They partnered with Alex Farcet, who has been a voice for startups in Northern Europe, and is now the bootcamp’s “sergeant.” Although I promise he won’t yell at you or tell you he needs 100 sit-ups. Since the start of the year, Alex has been able to bring together 50+ mentors from across Europe, with a variety of backgrounds and experiences from Silicon Valley to Shanghai. If you need to know how innovation works in China, how  VC’s operate, or how you order a beer for your client after signing the big deal in Finland, then they will be able to help. Of course, they know a thing or two about startups as well. And not just web ones either. You will be able to receive insight into a wide variety of businesses and experiences.

Another pretty amazing point is that Startupbootcamp is first Techstars affiliate program on the planet. That’s a pretty big endorsement from one of the USA’s most well-known and prolific accelerators. So teams building Europe’s next big startups not only have access to the resources here, but also the potential that David Cohen and crew will be able to help bang the drum for your startup in North America.

Finally, the group itself is honest, fun, and works at a high pace. It’s very fitting for teams trying to accomplish a lot in what could be a stressful situation. The mentor group is filled with similar people who want you to succeed, and want Europe to accelerate innovation. Applications are due by the end of June, and the program will bring the first batch of 10 startups to Copenhagen in August. For more information, and to apply, take a look at www.startupbootcamp.dk. And when the batch of startups get running, maybe you’ll hear all about them in theNextWeb’s podcast.