Startup Bootcamp
Startup Bootcamp is a 13-week, industry-focused accelerator network that began in 2010 and launched its FinTech program in London in January 2014. It funds startups with 15,000 euros in exchange for 6% equity, and is supported by bank and insurer sponsors, with about 400 graduates overall and roughly 60 FinTech and InsurTech programs. The interview reports no revenue figures for the accelerator itself.
- •Industry-specific programs connect early startups to the decision-makers in banks and insurers who can run their first pilots, which is a more valuable offer than cash alone.
- •Sponsor-funded model means the accelerator does not depend on taking large equity stakes, so its income is less tied to the success of any single startup.
- •Corporate innovation services for sponsors, such as culture change and co-creation projects, give the accelerator a revenue stream beyond the cohort programs.
- •A global network across London, Singapore, New York, and Mumbai lets the accelerator offer startups access to investors and corporate partners in several regions.
- 1.Pick a narrow, heavily regulated industry and build the program around the specific buyers, such as heads of innovation at banks or insurers.
- 2.Secure paying sponsor partners before launching a cohort so the program is funded by the industry rather than by startup equity.
- 3.Offer startups access to pilot opportunities and proof-of-concept deals, not just seed cash, and say so plainly to set expectations.
- 4.Pair the cohort with a separate corporate innovation consulting offer so sponsors can buy additional services beyond the accelerator.
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