As we mentioned in a previous post, we are collaborating with Accelerate Cambridge (the startup accelerator established by Cambridge Judge Business School) in hosting Cambridge’s first EdTech-flavoured startup weekend across the 23rd-25th May. The idea behind the event is to get innovators, young graduates, researchers and entrepreneurs talking and sharing ideas in a safe learning environment. It is basically business modelling in its rawest form.
ELTjam met with Simon Stockley, Deputy Director of Accelerate Cambridge and Hanadi Jabado, entrepreneur and Director of Accelerate Cambridge to talk about Accelerate Cambridge’s approach to entrepreneurship and how the Startup Weekend format would benefit someone looking to develop their business ideas.
As Simon explains, “The idea is that people will come to us with what looks like a good idea for a business – maybe a promise in technology, maybe an idea for a service or a product – and we will work with them to try and attach a business model to that idea and ultimately get them to the stage where they can raise seed funding.”
Accelerate Cambridge isn’t the typical type of commercial accelerator programme that gives money up front and takes equity in the progress, clarifies Hanadi:
“We have a unique combination of entrepreneurship education, coaching and mentoring and an extremely structured approach to venture creation.”
Interview with Hanadi Jabado and Simon Stockley of Accelerate Cambridge from eltjam on Vimeo.
If you’re interested in getting involved in the upcoming EdTech Startup Weekend then visit the event site for more information. Use the promotion code ELTJAM to get yourself a discount on your ticket, too!
