Techstars to Launch #1 Startup Pre-Acceleration Program in the World in Detroit in January 2016; Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids Accelerators to Partner

Detroit, MI, January 07, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Startup Next pairs a small group of high quality, early-stage startup founders with industry veterans, venture capitalists and experienced serial entrepreneurs. The program is sponsored globally by Google for Entrepreneurs, free of charge, part-time and designed in such a way that founders are able to continue building their product while attending. No equity is taken.

Each cohort consists of weekly sessions, 3 hours each for 6 weeks and will be hosted at the Techstars offices at Ford Field. Each session includes an expert speaker / workshop, team pitches and 1:1 mentor breakouts. The program concludes with a demo day with invitees spanning the venture capital and tech startup ecosystem. The program goal is to get teams prepared to join a top accelerator, raise a seed round or simply continue their entrepreneurial journey. Participating teams gain admittance to a global network of investors, mentors and founders.

Startup Next programming in other cities has helped more than 50 startups get into top accelerators and raise more than $40 million dollars in funding. Even though Startup Next is part of Techstars, it’s not exclusively preparing startups for Techstars accelerator programs. Accelerator partners for the inaugural Detroit program include TechTown Detroit, Desai Family Accelerator, Start Garden and Seamless IoT. While key startup and VC partners include Detroit Venture Partners, Rocket Fiber, Nutshell and Ambassador amongst others.

Over time Techstars has built a strong network of accelerators and investors worldwide and will work closely to refer them to each cohort of accelerator/investor-ready alumni. Kyle Bazzy, Director of Startup Next Detroit, is also particularly inspired to see “so many skillsets and talented individuals come to the table as mentors to help the startups in our ecosystem. From proven entrepreneurs to seasoned investors, Startup Next Detroit is pulling the best of the best to help these companies succeed.”

Detroit is widely gaining international attention as an emerging startup hub due to the large volume of technical talent in the region combined with the existing footprint of multinational corporations and new resurgence of entrepreneurial energy. Startup Next, in particular, is unique in that it combines the tech ecosystems of Detroit, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids in this exciting venture. Ted Serbinski, Managing Director of Techstars Mobility in Detroit is excited by this addition and thinks it's key for the growth of our entire ecosystem, citing, "There are a ton of incredible startups throughout the region that could benefit from this mentorship-driven program to help them grow and build their businesses. It's great to see the entrepreneurial density growing throughout One Detroit."

In 2015 Startup Next will close with 36 accelerator programs across 27 cities and in 2016 we are planning to roll out 58 programs in 29 cities. The inaugural Detroit program launches January 19, 2016 with the deadline for team applications closing on January 10, 2016. Additional detail can be found at the website: startupnext.co/detroit or by emailing the Startup Next Detroit team at: detroit@startupnext.co.

About Techstars
Techstars is empowering the world’s most promising entrepreneurs throughout their lifelong journey by providing them with a global ecosystem of founders, mentors, investors, and corporate partners wherever they choose to build their business. With the acquisition of startup programs (Startup Digest, Startup Week, Startup Weekend and Startup Next) added to existing accelerators, foundation and venture capital funds, Techstars is now covering most of the startup lifecycle and helping entrepreneurs from inspiration to IPO. As a pre-accelerator inside a global startup ecosystem such as Techstars, Startup Next is now even better positioned to deliver an even more meaningful experience during the program plus giving lifelong access to a global network of founders, mentors, investors and partners.