Local Incubator JFDI.Asia Joins TechStars Network
February 2, 2011 by Gwendolyn Regina T
The “mentorship-driven seed stage investment program” TechStars has expanded its network overseas through the “TechStars Network“. The TechStars Network consists of independently owned and operated regional organizations that operate a start-up accelerator program with models similar to TechStars. While most of the incubators in the network are still largely US-based, there are a few European ones and in Asia, JFDI.Asia is the only partner incubator.
The TechStars Network launched January 31, 2011 as part of the White House Startup America initiative (launched by President Obama) and provides professional development, networking opportunities, training and ongoing support for members.
“Entrepreneurs embody the promise of America: The idea that if you have a good idea and are willing to work hard and see it through, you can succeed in this country. And in fulfilling this promise, entrepreneurs also play a critical role in expanding our economy and creating jobs.” ~ President Barack Obama, 31st January 2011
The other incubators are:
- AlphaLab, Pittsburgh, PA
- Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ
- Betaspring, Providence, RI
- Blueprint Health, New York, NY
- BoomStartup, Salt Lake City, UT
- Excelerate Labs, Chicago, IL
- Founders Co-op, Seattle, WA
- Incubate Miami, Miami, FL
- Joyful Frog Digital Incubator; Singapore
- Jumpstart Foundry, Nashville, TN
- LaunchPad Ignition, New Orleans, LA
- Ryan Academy Propeller Seed Accelerator Program, Dublin, Ireland
- Springboard, Cambridge, UK
- Startupbootcamp, Copenhagen, Denmark and Madrid, Spain
- TechStars Boston, MA, New York, NY, Boulder, CO and Seattle, WA
- Tech Wildcatters, Dallas, TX
- The Brandery, Cincinnati, OH
- The Elevator, Tel Aviv, Israel
“We are pleased to have Joyful Frog Digital Incubator join the TechStars Network,” said David Cohen, Founder and CEO of TechStars. “The TechStars Network signals and formalizes our support for credible mentorship-driven programs like Joyful Frog Digital Incubator. We believe the proliferation of the mentorship-driven accelerator model is healthy for entrepreneurs. Through this network of independent organizations, we can help increase their impact dramatically and make entrepreneurial communities the real winners.”
“We are inspired by the 70% success rate that the TechStars model has demonstrated in getting early stage digital businesses to investment,” said Hugh Mason, Co-founder and CEO of Joyful Frog Digital Incubator. “For the start-up businesses we will create, TechStars Network offers access to mentors, markets and investors around the world, so they will grow faster and be better placed to compete globally.”
Nice going, JFDI!
Company: JFDI.Asia
JFDI.Asia aims to build an innovation ecosystem that sustains itself, in Asia, for Asia. Its signature event is the JFDI.Asia Bootcamp in Singapore.
View profile: JFDI.Asia More articles: JFDI.AsiaFind out more about SGE’s research arm: SGE Insights, providing customized in-depth research reports to help you navigate the business of technology in Asia.
About The Author
Gwendolyn Regina T - Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief
Gwen is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of SGE. Previously, she was a partner of early stage technology investment firm, Thymos Capital and she has had two exits, one of which is iHipo. She is also an investor in Padlet, a Y-Combinator startup. Gwen also sits on the Board of Advisors for the Singapore Innovation & Productivity Institute, Steering Commmittee for the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation Awards 2013, and Board of Advisors for Social Media Week 2013. A frequent public speaker, mentor and judge at various startup bootcamps, events and competitions, Gwen loves meeting founders, developers, designers and scientists across all ages. An alumnus of the National University of Singapore and its University Scholars Programme, Gwen also spent some time in Silicon Valley and is a graduate of the NUS-Stanford University overseas college programme. She is also a mentor at Polish tech startup incubator Gamma Rebels, the Singapore curator for US-headquartered StartupDigest and the Singapore Ambassador for the Sandbox Network - the leading global network of innovators under 30. Gwen has also been a Worldwide Judge for Imagine Cup - the premier student technology competition helmed by Microsoft. She has also spoken in Hong Kong at one of its largest youth conferences, MaD Asia, and was recently in Austria to help envision the future of the country's economy in 2032 on invitation from an Austrian governmental organization. Gwen speaks 3.25 languages, loves physics, travelling, dance and adventure sports. She can be found on LinkedIn and Twitter.
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