For Northern Ireland companies only, but looks very good.
Need Funding? Are you ready to pitch to a VC?
NISP CONNECT PRESENTS:
“ENTREPRENEUR ACADEMY; VC READINESS” CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
NISP CONNECT is seeking up to twelve qualified companies for the upcoming Entrepreneur Academy; VC Readiness, an intense 5 day bootcamp from 5th to 11th May, 2009 for early stage companies hoping to raise private investment in 2009.
Applications for the Entrepreneur Academy will be accepted from 1st February through 31st March.
Entrepreneur Academy graduate companies will be considered to pitch to venture capitalists and angel investors in a number of upcoming events.
To submit an application for the Entrepreneur Academy, Apply Here
About Entrepreneur Academy
The Entrepreneur Academy is all about cramming years of street smarts and real-world experience into a week! It is not “instructor-led, student-listen” class, you will learn as much from working with, and presenting to, your fellow participants as you will from the leader. It is intense and brutal, just like the business world out there, but when you graduate, you’ll have years of experience to give your business an edge and a kick-start.
About VC Readiness
An intensive 5-day programme to qualify, prepare and present Northern Irish start-ups and entrepreneurs for engagement with VCs and fundraising. The programme will end with ventures pitching to multiple investors at one of three Capital events.
The course will be delivered by Silicon Valley based David Kirk, one of Northern Ireland’s most successful Tech Exiles, and covers: The business of venture capital, A day in the life of a VC (what a VC looks for), the elevator pitch, data sheet, investment pitch and business plan; their roles and structure. Style, image, projection. What to expect from a “value” VC
Access to Capital
At the end of the programme selected teams will have the opportunity to pitch at one or more of the following investment events:
• Halo angel investor network: remodelled and reborn the halo angel network is now stronger than ever
• Venture Capital Roundtable: NISP CONNECT Venture Roundtables are exclusive, private, invitation-only showcases for promising emerging technologies and companies in the region. Select entrepreneurs and scientists will have the opportunity to present their technology to a group of premier capital providers. NISP CONNECT’s Venture Roundtable will take place on June 11, 2009
• ITLG: “Silicon Valley Comes to Ireland” a delegation of leading venture capitalists and entrepreneurs from the world greatest centre of venture.
Eligibility
To be eligible to enrol in the academy, applicants must:
• have a business plan or business model slide deck
• have a technology related product or service
• have an incorporated / registered company with at least one full time employee
• looking for funding in 3-6 months, not yesterday.
• be prepared to dedicate 8*16 hours during the week of the bootcamp
• be Northern Ireland-based
Cost
This programme is provided free of charge to entrepreneurs who are accepted on to the programme, but space is strictly limited to a maximum of twelve companies, and one representative per company.
For more information regarding the Entrepreneur Academy, please contact Roisin Clancy at 02890 737 920, roisin.clancy@nisp.co.uk
David Kirk Bio
A successful entrepreneur and investor, both private and institutional. During his career – over three decades of software, networking and telecommunications – he has held positions in engineering, marketing and sales, with startups and Fortune 10 companies. He has held executive level positions at American Online, where he led the world-wide launch of their online service, and managed the development and operations of their business systems, including billing, eCommerce, Internet advertising and fraud management. After AOL, David was Senior Vice President at Cisco Systems, where he managed their core software development, and was general manager of their enterprise business. David was born in Belfast, and now resides in California. He has a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science from DeMontfort University (previous Leicester Polytechnic) in Leicester, England.
Copacetic 