Five ambitious tech companies from Northern Ireland are travelling to San Francisco to get assistance with raising investment funding, growing sales and testing the viability of a US base.
The Ignite NI Landing Pad is a competitive programme where the five teams who have previously participated in the Ignite NI Accelerator programme have been selected, based on their ability to demonstrate that San Francisco and the US is a tangible market for them.
The five teams selected for the first Landing Pad are: Cloudsmith, Snappd, iSensing, Datch and Prospr.
The programme, supported by Invest Northern Ireland, aims to give the teams a head-start in a city that is known as the global hub of the technology sector and home to industry giants such as Apple and Facebook.
Each team will receive support to cover travel and accommodation and will be based at a private office at WeWork in the heart of the city for the duration of their stay. During this time, Ignite NI says it will utilise its networks to support, advise and connect the teams to key industry players and provide ongoing mentoring support on the ground in San Francisco.
Chris McClelland, Programme Director at Ignite NI, said: “The Landing Pad is an exciting addition to the support for startups in Northern Ireland and builds on the knowledge and support gained during the Pre-Accelerator and Accelerator programmes.
Giving the companies the opportunity to immerse themselves in the US market for an extended period of time is an innovative approach that will pay dividends for the participants, the start-up ecosystem and the Northern Ireland economy.”
Niall Casey from Invest NI added: “Breaking into the US market is not easy but can be transformational for the Northern Ireland companies who get it right. We think it essential that our exciting young tech companies get an early opportunity to decide if it is a viable option, while gaining a direct understanding of the skills and investment needed to compete on a global stage.”
Applications for the next Propel Pre-Accelerator for early stage companies opens on September 16. Applications for the IgniteNI Accelerator, which is aimed at more established companies, opens on November 18.
For more information on the programmes go to igniteni.com
