The Barclays London Accelerator, powered by Techstars, is searching for the next great startups to join the program. The program will start on 26th of February and the Investor Day will be on the 23rd of May. We are looking for exceptional founders who are tackling difficult problems and are going after big opportunities.
We are specifically looking for founders working on applications of AI/machine learning, blockchain, payments, cyber-security and big data. Our definition of fintech includes insurance-tech and regulatory-tech as well as “traditional” fintech. We welcome applications from founders across the world.
You can start your application now, and keep reading for more information about meeting us and hearing from alumni founders!
Meet the Team
We are holding office hours in London, New York, Toronto, Boston, Paris, Stockholm, Dublin, Lisbon, Zurich and remotely through Skype. If you’d like to meet with us, please check out the date and times below, and fill out this meeting request form.
Remote on Skype – September-October
London – September-October
New York City – Aug 30th and 31th
Boston – Sept 6th
Toronto – Sept 7th and 8th
Stockholm – Sept 13 & 14
Paris – Sept 18th
Zurich – Sept 19th
Dublin – Sept 20th and 21st
Lisbon – Sept 26th & 27th
We also recommend that you follow us on Twitter for specific updates, new event postings and live Q&A. Connect with us here: @chrisadelsbach and @madeleinegblyth.
Get to know Managing Director Chris Adelsbach and his thoughts about fintech in this recent interview The FinTech Times
Why Apply to the Barclays Accelerator, Powered by Techstars?
A good way to to find out about an accelerator program is to speak with those that have gone through it. Recently, Shieldpay CEO, Peter Janes, wrote about his experience. We’ve also included testimonials below. But in addition, here are some areas that are particularly helpful about the Barclays Accelerator powered by Techstars London program:
Reason #1: You get access to amazing mentors
Techstars accelerator programs are mentorship-driven, we find the people that have the skills to help you succeed. Our mentors are a diverse and amazing collection of financial services executives, successful entrepreneurs, city power-brokers, top angel investors and venture capitalists, as well as amazing mentors with backgrounds in product, engineering, legal, marketing and finance. You also get instant access and mentorship to senior Barclays team members who define success as you being successful. Most of our mentors have been with us for years and are trusted, connected and effective as evidenced by the qualitative and quantitative feedback we get back from our founders.
Reason #2: You really grow & accelerate your business
We help our companies make tangible progress and help grow and accelerate their business. At Demo Day, companies present their business to a curated group of investors and partners. As a result, 80% of the companies that joined were able to announce a proof-of-concept with Barclays on Demo Day and 100% announced partnerships with at least one large corporate that they met during the program. In addition, our last Investor Day had 600 people of which over half were VC’s or angels. Check out the video from it here! The companies announced various deals, partnerships and proof of concepts that were initiated and agreed during the program.
Reason #3: Successful fundraising
Having paying customers helps generate investor interest, and this interest has translated into very successful funding rounds. Companies such as Post Quantum, Aire, Ravelin, Do Pay, Cuvva, Cutover and Bokio are just a few examples. Globally, Techstars has the highest success rates for follow-on funding, with 119 successful portfolio company exits and $3.7 Billion of combined portfolio financing at a combined $10 Billion valuation.
Reason #4: You get a network for life
The Techstars worldwide network is one of the largest and fastest growing networks of entrepreneurs around the world. Once you are a part of Techstars, you are a part of Techstars for life, and you get to be part of the network that helps you go faster and accelerate your current and future businesses. For instance, Techstars has a team of five people in the Valley that run partnerships and M&A which companies tap into many months or years after they finish the program.
Reason #5: In London, you are at the centre of the global FinTech scene
London has become a great place to build a startup. You will be located within minutes of the world’s largest banks, asset management and wealth management businesses. What’s more, a supportive government, forward thinking regulator and Europe’s largest VC ecosystem are all nearby (not that you’ll need to visit them as many of them treat our accelerator as a hub and regularly meet startups here)!
What Founders say About Their Experience
Founders appreciate and value our work. Here is what some are saying about our program:
“The Techstars program was a truly transformational experience for Cuvva; we were able to expand our network of supporters by a factor of ten, re-align the direction of the company and eventually partner with the second biggest global re-insurer, all in the space of 12 weeks!” Freddy Macnamara – CEO, Cuvva
“Being selected for the Barclays Techstars accelerator was transformational for our business. The access to mentors and advisers throughout the programme ensured we steered a course to success. The camaraderie amongst the cohort was amazing, strong relationships were forged and continue to grow. Introductions to senior personnel at Barclays were invaluable and enabled us to prove concepts. They bought our software and we continue to work closely with them.” Justin Lyon – CEO, Simudyne
“The Barclays Techstars Accelerator is a tremendous platform of growth for us. We were fortunate to move from two proof of concept uses of our software to 15 uses across the bank. Barclays gave us unparalleled access to senior technologists and opened itself up, in a safe way, as a sandbox so we could experiment. We went on to raise a financing round post programme and then signed a Global Framework Agreement with Barclays.” Ky Nichol – CEO, Cutover
“The main motivation for us at AgentCASH to apply for the programme was to access FinTech investors and high-profile industry experts – something that completely paid off. It would have taken years to accomplish this if we had tried to build the network on our own. Some of the Techstars mentors, like Gary Turner, Managing Director of Xero, become big supporters of our company.” Sasa Sarunic – CEO, AgentCASH
“Courtsdesk went into the Techstars Barclays accelerator as an Irish startup with an MVP in testing, and came out 12 weeks later as a globally-networked, commercially-launched business, with an advisory board packed with C-suite executives from the most influential companies in our markets, and investors that we couldn’t have dreamed of beforehand.” Enda Leahy – CEO, Courtsdesk
“Atlas started with a big vision of banking the unbanked when we joined the program in 2015. 3 of the technical associates immediately gravitated towards Atlas and joined us in Senegal. Now, all 3 work for us full time and live with us in Ghana! Having access to this talent pool allowed us to initially test and grow our product as we had a small team with many holes to fill, but it more importantly, it resulted in us establishing a family culture early on that we are now adding to as we rapidly grow.” Mickey Costa – Co-MD, Atlas
“Being part of the Barclays London Techstars program has allowed us to accelerate beyond any normal ramping for an early stage startup. The program has opened doors to a global network of connections and resources that has helped build and scale a business that would typically take five years to establish.” Leanne Kemp – CEO, Everledger
“We entered the program as a company with 6 years of R&D behind it and a team comprised of founders at an older age than your average founder. Through the expert mentoring and privileged access offered, we were able to move quickly towards commercialisation.” Anderson Cheng – CEO, Post-Quantum
Ready to apply? Get started now. Applications close November 12th! We look forward to learning more about your company!