Accelerate Cambridge will be running the next Ideation@CJBS, its own start-up weekend model for budding entrepreneurs from Friday 15 March to Sunday 17 March 2013 in collaboration with Idea Transform.
Ideation@CJBS is a hands-on experience where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can find out if their start-up ideas are viable. Cambridge and London based start-up leaders will attend the weekend to act as coaches and judges.
The weekend is about learning through the act of creating. Participants don’t just listen to theory; they build their own strategy and test it as they go. By spending a weekend working to build scalable companies that solve real-world problems, they will build long-lasting relationships and possibly walk away with a job, a team or an investor.
It’s not just about the idea – it’s about the team, and Ideation@CJBS is the best way to find someone you can actually launch a start-up with. With a whole weekend dedicated to letting your creative juices flow, it’s a perfect opportunity to work on a new platform, or just to try something different.
Approximately 80 per cent of participants plan on continuing working with their team or start-up after the weekend, and over 36 per cent of ventures are still going strong after three months.
Weekend schedule
15 Mar
Public pitches
Attendees bring their best ideas and inspire others to join their team
16 and 17 Mar
Actioning
Teams focus on customer development, validating their ideas and, where appropriate, building a minimal viable product
17 Mar (eve)
Demonstrations
Teams demonstrate their prototypes and receive valuable feedback from a panel of experts comprising successful entrepreneurs, leading academics and venture capitalists
Accelerate Cambridge is a start-up “accelerator” established by Cambridge Judge Business School in May 2012. The School is situated in the centre of Cambridge, at the heart of the University of Cambridge and the Cambridge Cluster, the city’s academic and business networks, both of which have a long tradition of entrepreneurship. Many of the businesses in the cluster were established by the University, its staff and alumni.