MassChallenge

MassChallenge UK connects high-impact, early stage startups with mentors, partners and investors, while providing no-strings-attached support during a 4-month accelerator programme in London.

• MassChallenge UK is the largest accelerator in London and currently has 90 startups from all different industries, from all over the world
• MassChallenge UK does not take equity from the startups we support or take any fees from startups – we are a “no-strings-attached” accelerator
• Teams within the accelerator are eligible to compete for shares of £500,000 in cash to be awarded at the end of the programme
• Applications for 2015 are now closed – Applications for 2016 will reopen in February 2016

Based on the same proven model as the MassChallenge Boston accelerator programme, MassChallenge UK launched in London in February 2015. We are now the largest and most diverse accelerator in London.

During our four-month accelerator period from June to October, startups have access to free office space, world-class mentorship, a top-tier community of MassChallenge alumni, education, training, networking events, and a chance to win a share of £500k in cash prizes.

MassChallenge UK specialises in helping early-stage companies. We define this as having raised less than £300K of investment, and having less than £600K in annual revenue.

What we look for is “high impact” and “high potential”. We leave this to the startups to define. Impact can be defined in terms of a profitable, social, creative, scientific or other nature, but they must also be high potential – e.g. they can actually effect those visions. MassChallenge is industry agnostic. We have companies in our current cohort in everything from fintech to social impact to clean tech. To see a full list of MassChallenge UK startups, click here.

Overall, MassChallenge’s 617 global alumni have raised $950 million, have generated $485 million, and have created over 5,000 jobs.

MassChallenge UK has recruited a world-class group of experts from various industries to form our judge and mentor pool. MassChallenge has a unique system of judging in which top-tier judges from the ecosystem select which startups enter the programme. Many of those same judges go on to mentor startups on-on-one throughout the programme and beyond.

Startups are chosen in two rounds of judging. Round 1 takes place online and each startup that applies receives written feedback from 3 or more judges. The startups that are invited to Round 2 judging have the chance to pitch in person in front of a panel of judges. The high-impact and high-potential startups that impress the judges are then invited to participate finalists.

To compete for shares of the £500k, finalist startups participating in the programme apply and pitch again during pre-final and final judging. The field is narrowed down to the top 26 and then from those between 10 and 20 startups are awarded shares of the no-equity cash prizes, the largest being £50,000.