AngelCube accelerator applications open: “We don’t just want a high level crazy idea”

Vision, ability to execute, and global ambitions are the qualities Melbourne-based accelerator AngelCube is looking for from applicants for its 2015 program.

The accelerator opens applications for its 2015 intake on February 23 offering $20,000 in exchange for 10% equity, six months of free office space, 13 weeks of training and access to a network of mentors and partners in Australia and the United States.

The program culminates with demo days in Melbourne and Sydney followed by a US roadshow through San Francisco and New York.

Previous graduates have come from a wide range of industries, including digital currency startup Coinjar, smart light bulb manufacturer LiFX and enterprise productivity tool etaskr.

Last year LiFX raised $12 million in Series A funding from Sequoia Capital, Coinjar opened an office in the United Kingdom and etaskr closed a seed funding round.

AngelCube co-founder Nathan Sampimon says the program is continuing to target startups from a board range of industries.

“We’re at the position right now in Melbourne that there is a rich, organised community of tech talent, so we’re still as broad as ever,” he says.

“AngelCube’s mission is to help the startup ecosystem by producing founders and startups that make their mark on the global stage, and set an example for others in the ecosystem to follow.”

This is AngelCube’s fifth year, and for the first time the program has brought on a full-time program manager, Amir Nissen, who started the Melbourne Accelerator Program, and who participated in the Startmate accelerator as a founder in 2013.

“This year AngelCube is focused on investing in exceptional teams,” he says.

“Most startups will pivot during the program, maybe even a few times, so ambitious, technical teams with the resilience to survive and thrive in this environment are what we’re looking for.”

Sampimon agrees and says the accelerator is looking for applications from founders who don’t just have “a high level crazy idea” but are able to articulate why they believe in it.

“Lean startup is all about validating and testing your assumptions,” Sampimon says.

“We don’t just want a high level crazy idea, with no evidence of viability, or no indication that there’s something of substance there.”

An information night for AngelCube’s 2015 program will be held at Inspire9 in Richmond on Tuesday, February 24. 

For more information, visit AngelCube.com.