Startup Tourism – a new accelerator for the tourism industry announced
Earlier today, Klak Innovit and its partners – ISAVIA, Íslandsbanki, Blue Lagoon, Vodafone, Icelandic Tourism Cluster – announced the forming of Startup Tourism, a new accelerator program aimed at startups in the tourism industry. Klak Innovit has previous experience operating the accelerators Startup Reykjavik and Startup Energy Reykjavik. Oddur Sturluson is the managing director of Startup Tourism.
“We’re hoping to engage with a new market and a new group of people in this program, because the people innovating in tourism are generally not the same people as apply for Startup Reykjavik or Startup Energy Reykjavik,” Oddur says about the program. “We’re also experimenting with having the program in the spring rather than summer.”
The program will operate in a similar manner as the other accelerators run by Klak Innovit. Teams with ideas or young companies can apply on the programs website – http://www.startuptourism.is – and a group of stakeholders and experts, including investors, specialists from the tourism industry, Klak Innovit staff and more, evaluates the applications. The application deadline is Januar 6th, 2016 and the program starts on February 5th. Interested teams are invited to take part in workshops planned by Klak Innovit around the country aimed at fleshing out peoples ideas.
The teams chosen are invited to a 10 week program, with talks, mentors, coaching, office space and supplies, access to the mentors’ and Klak’s networks and benefits through the Global Accelerator Network. Unlike the other accelerators, companies will not be invested in, and teams therefore keep a 100% part of their company. Just like the other accelerators, Startup Tourism will end with a Demo Day where companies pitch to investors.
Norðurskautið covers the Icelandic Startup and Tech scene. Follow us on Twitter or sign up for our mailing list to keep up to date, with Norðurskautið and it’s Slack Community – http://bit.ly/slack-is
[mc4wp_form]
