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Applications are open to the third edition of international non-profit BigBooster’s acceleration programme, with startups from around the world competing through three stages of incubation.

The third edition of the BigBooster accelerator will focus on three fields: bio and health, informative tech, and global impact.

Applications are open to startups across the world, with 100 to be selected to join the first phase of the programme – a three day intensive bootcamp to be held in Lyon, France.

At the Lyon-based “Booster Camp”, the selected startups join high-level mentors to “crash test” their business plans, and gather peer and mentor feedback.  The camp culminates in a pitching session in front of a panel of BigBooster judges, who select the 50 startups to progress to the second stage of the programme.

In phase two, the 50 startups spend five months – from December 2017 to April 2018 – receiving long-distance coaching from expert mentors, and participate in a four to six week internship at one of the programme’s partner organisations, with the aim of learning about best practices and gaining valuable insight into industry operations.  

Again, phase two culminates in a Demo Day in April 2018, at which 25 startups will be selected to join one of the regional Booster Camps in either the US, Asia, or the Middle East and Africa to immerse themselves in local innovation ecosystems and build new partnerships and networks.

The BigBooster accelerator aims to unlock networks and value to help startups prepare for rapid scale-up and global success.

“BigBooster’s strength and identity rely on a unique collaboration between key public and private stakeholders. Institutions and big firms work together to help startups grow global by taking advantage of the expertise of each territory. The synergies that are created are real growth enablers at the local and international level,” BigBooster explains.

The programme is set to begin in November, with applications now open here, until September 18.

Disrupt Africa reported earlier this year Senegalese mobile payments and digital services aggregator In Touch progressed to the top 10 of the second edition of the BigBooster programme – the only African startup to reach this level; and went on to be named “Jury’s Pick” at the finals.

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