The accelerator includes: tailored mentorship, the potential to secure non-dilutive capital, free advice from leading professional service companies and rapid networking across the Innovation Forum’s platform.
Participants will first compete on a local level and the local winners will get the opportunity to pitch in our global conference. The finals for the local Cambridge IMAGINE IF! will occur on 5 May 2021, at 5 PM UK time.
How does it work?
Local Innovation Forum branches will organise a pre-acceleration programme of workshops. By the end of the programme, all teams should have a stronger business plan and pitch in front of a local Dragons’ Den-style panel. The best teams from the local competition will enter the global IMAGINE IF! where they’ll receive training from the best international experts and seasoned entrepreneurs.
Apply to IMAGINE IF! and get:
Mentoring from top local and international industry leaders
Tailored workshops
Opportunity to pitch in front of leading European investors
International networking opportunities
The chance to improve the world through scientific innovation
For more information about the competition, view interviews with Innovation Forum Cambridge IMAGINE IF! mentors, judges and competitors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-IlupyJSwk
Timeline:
15 November 2020: Application deadline. All applications are made via the common online submission portal. The top 10 applications will be selected for the round of mentoring.
January 2021 – April 2021: Mentoring. The top 10 teams will be assigned one or more high-profile mentors. By the end of this phase, all teams need to submit a finalised business plan and a three-minute video pitch.
5 May 2021: Local finals. The Innovation Forum Cambridge local IMAGINE IF! finals will take place at 5pm on 5 May 2021. The local winner will progress to compete against winners from other Innovation Forum branches.
More information on the global competition can be found here.