StartupCafe

Nurturing startups in the North East of England, The Difference Engine is an awesome new incubator programme ready to hear from Scottish entrepreneurs. They’ve made it through the first incubation round with nine cool digital companies supported, and now’s the time to secure a spot in the second batch (apply by 23rd July)! We absolutely loved The Difference Engine at Edinburgh TechMeetup this week, and their announcement is below with application details:

The mentor-lead accelerator program, The Difference Engine, started earlier this year, has opened applications for its second programme. Successful applicants will earn themselves £20k of seed capital and a place on an intensive 13 week mentoring programme (20 September – 17 December, 2010), in exchange for an 8% equity share.

“The team spirit amongst the nine teams working closely together for the first round earlier this year made the whole experience fun as well as hard work,” said founder Jon Bradford. “Last time’s successful businesses are currently in discussions with various VCs to raise further investment capital. Naturally we’d like to continue building on that success this time”

The programme is open to any digital businesses, and around ten will receive funding places on the programme. Although these rules are not ‘set in stone’, typically those that earn places on the programme are: web-based or software oriented at version 1.0 (for more ambitious projects, a prototype can be developed within the 13 week programme); ‘disruptive’ (market changing) technology solutions that are not capital intensive; and teams rather than individuals, who must have the right to work in the UK/appropriate visas.

Although based in the North East of England, there is no geographic limitation for entrants but applicants will need to be in North East of England (Sunderland Software City) full time during the 13 weeks of the programme.  (Last time’s successful applicants came from all over the UK and two from Eastern Europe.

This times programme is funded and supported by a variety of organisations including One North East, Middlesborough and Sunderland City Councils. Mentors come from a variety of backgrounds and include serial entrepreneurs, technology experts, and professionals such as lawyers, marketing specialists, accountants and venture capitalists.

When the programme closes, participating businesses should be investor ready, and will be expected to present their businesses and products to a group of venture capitalists and angel investors at a demonstration day.

Applications should be made via the website: http://thedifferenceengine.eu/apply/ by 23 July, 2010 .

Shortlists will be made by 6 August, 2010 – twenty applicants will be shortlisted, of whom around ten will earn places on the programme.

Feel free to post your questions below! We’ll answer what we can, and crowdsource the rest 🙂