PHILADELPHIA, PA (October 24, 2019) – Beginning today, the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians and the University City Science Center are accepting applications for its 2020 Global Startup Accelerator (GSA). The program’s second cohort, sponsored by a grant from the United States Department of Commerce (Economic Development Administration), will focus on Smart City technologies and companies with an interest in expanding to India.
The open enrollment period runs through December 1, 2019 and will accept up to 25 companies – across a wide spectrum of development stages – from the Greater Philadelphia region to participate.
Accepted applicants will fall under one of the following categories, with an underlying goal to improve a civil service or the health of a population through technology:
- Connected devices/Internet of Things
- Digital health and the social determinants of health
- Fintech (with a community component)
- Education technology
- Energy efficiency
- Cyber security
Advisors to the program include leading institutional investors, academic leaders with expertise in tech transfer, government officials, corporate executives, and successful startup founders. Selected companies will move sequentially through four tracks – Market Overview, Legal and Regulatory Framework, Cultural Acclimation, Pitch and Fundraising Prep – stewarded by subject matters experts. The curriculum will take place between January 23, 2020 and July 16, 2020.
Included with admission to the cohort is a 6-month membership to ic@3401, the largest tech co-working hub of funded, early-stage companies in Philadelphia.
In the spring 2019, 12 companies graduated from the first Global Startup Accelerator cohort, giving them a pathway to select European markets, and leading to funding opportunities.
“Global Startup Accelerator worked with me to refine my marketing strategy,” said Zeer Safe Founder and CEO Adam Jones. “The knowledge I gained about diverse regulatory and cultural climates will be very useful expanding into the European Union.”
Renee Stewart, PhD, co-founder and chief science officer of Levolta Pharmaceuticals added, “[I] would recommend GSA to anyone looking to grow their business and make valuable industry connections. We were given a toolkit for avoiding classic cross-cultural mistakes and appreciated the personalization of the curriculum."
About the Global Startup Accelerator
The program, funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, a department of the U.S. Commerce Department, is the brainchild of the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians and the University City Science Center. It combines the strength of the region’s leading startup advocates and serves as a gateway to technology commercialization and expansion into new markets.
About the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians
The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians promotes immigrant integration and economic advancement through education, training, employment, and entrepreneurship, both for foreign and American born. The Welcoming Center works with individual entrepreneurs and small businesses to provide technical assistance on the road from ideation to implementation, in close partnership with government agencies, service providers, employers, business associations, trade unions, and economic development. By making Pennsylvania a magnet for immigrants, we can reinvigorate Pennsylvania’s aging population, renew its neighborhoods, and re-energize our economy. For more information about the Welcoming Center, visit www.welcomingcenter.org.
About the University City Science Center
Located in the heart of uCity Square, the Science Center is a mission-driven nonprofit organization that catalyzes and connects innovation to entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. For 50+ years, the Science Center has supported startups, research, and economic development in the life sciences, healthcare, physical sciences, and emerging technology sectors. As a result, Science Center-supported businesses account for one out of every 100 jobs in the Greater Philadelphia region and drive $13 billion in economic activity in the region annually. By providing resources and programming for any stage of a business’s lifecycle, the Science Center helps scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators take their concepts from idea to IPO – and beyond. For more information about the Science Center, go to www.sciencecenter.org
