The AWS Startup Loft Accelerator will offer early-stage startups the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs who have built their own businesses on AWS.
For 10 weeks, participants can access personalised training opportunities with investors and experts in their subject area. Investors taking part this year include Entrée Capital, while founders such as Bernadette Nixon, CEO of Algolia and Cristina Fonseca, cofounder of Portuguese unicorn Talkdesk and AI startup Cleverly, will also offer their support and advice.
These industry leaders will help refine business plans and provide guidance on a range of topics such as finance, marketing and human resources.
Eran Bielski, General Partner at Entrée Capital, said: “We focus on investing in great teams who are building businesses in large, interesting markets. We’re delighted to be supporting this new AWS accelerator to give hungry, ambitious and talented entrepreneurs the opportunity they need.”
Startups participating in the programme will also be eligible to join the AWS Activate programme, which boasts up to $25K to spend on AWS services and a one-year free AWS Business Support subscription for up to $5K.
The programme has so far enabled startups including food delivery business JustEat – which started off as a small operation in a Danish basement – and Spanish ride-hailing business Cabify to secure significant investments. JustEat is now valued on the London Stock Exchange at £1.5B.
Other startups benefitting from AWS investment in similar programmes include PayEm, whose cofounder, Itamar Jobani, said: “With an increasingly competitive startup market, you need to be able to define and differentiate your business quickly. This can be taxing on the soul. In addition to their expertise, AWS delivered a level of support that was invaluable. They just ‘got’ what we needed and when we needed it,”
Startups can now apply to participate in the first cohort, which will start in January 2022, here.