Sprint Accelerator opens applications, dons new name
August 31, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Kansas City’s top business accelerator is now accepting applications for a wider applicant pool after a recent — albeit minimal — name change.
The Sprint Mobile Accelerator — formerly the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator — lightened up its name to better reflect its broader focus on boosting mobile-centric startups. Led by Boulder-based Techstars, the accelerator is welcoming applicants for its three-month, Kansas City-based program, which takes place Feb. 22 through May 24.
“We’re all very excited to see what types of companies apply,” said John Fein, managing director of Techstars. “Sprint will provide amazing resources and this is the only Techstars program focused solely on mobile tech, so we expect the application process to be very competitive. (We) can’t wait to meet some awesome mobile startups.”
Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure announced in May that the accelerator will have a broader focus than its previous mobile health target. As a result, Claure hopes to highlight the top companies’ products or services in Sprint stores around the nation. Fein said that Techstars is working with Sprint now to figure out how that agreement will work.
Fein said that the broader mobile focus will change his approach for attracting companies from around the world. He added that he hopes many local firms will apply.
“Now that we’re open to almost any startup, it presents us with a lot more opportunities for recruiting,” he said. “We plan to recruit heavily in the KC and greater Silicon Prairie area and will also partner with select events in other areas of the U.S. … Techstars and Sprint are all about building the local community so when we select the ten best companies for 2016, we’d love for KC to be represented.”
Fein said that examples of mobile companies that should apply include: wearables; consumer apps; digital services such as advertising, commerce or in-home; Internet of Things; and big data or analytics.
The application period for the accelerator’s third class in Kansas City opens today and closes on Nov. 22. Click here to apply.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Kauffman Foundation’s Erin Jenkins bounces between contrasting cultures, startup life
Editor’s note: This content was sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation but independently produced by Startland News. Curiosity took Erin Jenkins to Japan. Curiosity brought her home. In between, she embedded herself in the worlds of intercultural entrepreneurism and startup life — her journey aligning itself with an opportunity to serve as a program officer…
Pride outside: How the outdoor industry is missing out with a $1 trillion LGBTQ+ blind spot
“You can’t be what you can’t see,” said adventurer and speaker Mikah Meyer, quoting activist Marian Wright Edelman last week in Kansas City. Representation of LGBTQ+ consumers and entrepreneurs formed a thematic trail throughout the recent Mid-America Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce awards luncheon where Meyer made keynote remarks. His borrowed quote also reflected…
nbkc launches Entrepreneur in Residence incubator: ‘I have a whole company behind me’
Less than a year after its inaugural Fountain City Fintech accelerator debuted, nbkc bank has launched a new incubator program designed to tackle common banking industry problems with start-up-style ideation, problem solving, and tenacity, said Megan Darnell. The goal: building new companies along the way, the nbkc program manager said. “Kansas City has every single…
Investors, students find potential and power in High School eSports League
Benjie Lewis saw potential in eSports from the beginning — first as a mentor, then an investor, he said. Rapidly evolving from recreational pastime to official leagues and high school sports programs, the competitive multiplayer gaming concept has created a new space for startup opportunity, he said. “When I was growing up … they weren’t…