Back in February, CableLabs announced its UpRamp initiative, which is a startup accelerator aimed at bringing together startup companies and cable operators. Now, the May 30 deadline is quickly approaching for applications to the first session that’s slated for Aug. 5-Nov 8. The online application process can be accessed here, and reportedly should take less than an hour.
“UpRamp is built to fill the gap between a startup’s time in a classic startup accelerator and their ability to scale a business for the massive cable and broadband industry,” Scott Brown, UpRamp’s managing director and VP of technology outreach at CableLabs, explains. “Unlike traditional accelerators, UpRamp is closer to an executive MBA for startups – something we like to call a Fiterator. While most accelerators close their program with a demo day, the outcomes of a Fiterator accelerator are real contracts and customers. This is about deals, not demo days.”
Attending startups reportedly will have access to CableLab’s network of more than 250 executive and senior-level mentors, including cable industry CEOs and other C-level executives from member operators, including Comcast, Charter, Time Warner, plus international brands from Canada, Asia, Europe, and more.
The all-expenses-paid sessions in Boulder, CO, is structured like an executive MBA course for startups, and includes classes, seminars and mentors. It’s a three-month program, and is limited to four startups per cohort and three employees per startup. CableLabs points out that it is particularly designed for companies that already have a product in the market, have either raised capital or built a sustaining revenue stream, and are looking to “engage real customers in this large and growing market.”