Techstars has named its next major corporate partners, the next market it is working with startups to conquer, and the next location for a “powered by Techstars” accelerator.
Techstars is getting into mobile health, announcing today it is co-creating the Sprint Accelerator in Kansas City, MO, with the wireless company.
The program is looking for startups developing technology such as mobile apps that can help users diagnose problems or remind them to take medication, wearable sensors that can track vital signs and movements, and mobile tools that can be used with big data to improve care.
Companies accepted to the program will get $20,000 from Techstars, which will take its standard six percent stake in the startups. Sprint is putting up the money to give each startup the option of accepting a $100,000 convertible debt note that would give the carrier equity if accepted.
Techstars is running the program, while Sprint is providing its expertise and the resources available to a company with 53 million customers. That includes mentorship, access to its carrier technology and application programming interfaces, support from its development teams, and access to testing labs and network engineers at its corporate campus.
The program begins March 10 and ends with a June 5 Demo Day. Applications are being accepted through Dec. 6.
The accelerator is Techstars’ latest foray into a new market. The program it runs for Kaplan focused on technology for education recently hosted its first demo day, and over the summer Techstars announced it is creating an accelerator for connected devices.
“It’s an obvious ‘next’ place that has an up and coming tech community to rival other top geographies,” Techstars CEO David Cohen said in a media release. “We have been watching Kansas City from afar, seeing it come together, and now we’re excited to join the community and help it grow.”
Kansas City is the home of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the leading entrepreneur-focused foundation in the U.S.
The news comes one day after Techstars announced it has acquired NameLayer’s portfolio of domain names as a potential source for new startup names.
