What is StartupYard?

StartupYard, based in beautiful Prague, is Central Europe’s leading seed accelerator for technology startups. Founded in 2011, we have accelerated 115 startups from 25+ countries, and over half of our alumni have been funded receiving in total more than €105m. 19 companies have been acquired.

StartupYard alumni include a broad range of successful and award-winning tech startups including BrandEmbassy, Gjirafa.com, TeskaLabs, CityPay, NeuronSoundware, Rossum.ai, BudgetBakers, DameJidlo, and SteelMountain, among many others. Our alumni now collectively employ hundreds of people, across the world, and have created 100s of millions of Euros in shareholder value.

What are we looking for?

StartupYard invests in and accelerates “Deep Tech” startups that are solving a unique and difficult technology problem, or tackling an old problem in a unique and challenging way, with the possibility of scaling globally. Startups that apply should be able to benefit from intensive mentoring from some of the tech industry’s best minds.

What do we offer?

Program: StartupYard is a 3 month, fully-remote mentorship based program for early to seed-stage companies, that leverages deep corporate partnerships with telcos, banks, tech companies, and many others, to help a high tech startup develop its business with access to a top-tier network.

Funding: Startups can receive €20,000 in initial seed funding via a convertible note from StartupYard if they need it, and we operate a follow-on fund for startups that perform well during and after the program for up to €100,000. This is in addition to over €1 Million worth of  perks offered through the exclusive GAN (Global Accelerator Network) partner program, including free access to professional services.

Network: More important than money, our startups gain access to our extensive network of mentors, investors, and advisors from Central Europe’s leading firms in Technology, Finance, Telco, Software, and Retail. Among our top mentors are C-level executives from KB-Bank, Vodafone, Accenture, KPMG, Seznam, Google, Boston Consulting Group, Microsoft, E.ON, and many more.

Can I apply even if I don’t have a product yet?

Yes you can but you need to have at least a solid prototype and be close to launching. We are interested in people who have the capability and the ambition to deliver and build global solutions.

What type of commitment do you require?

StartupYard’s official program is a fully remote program where you get to choose when you are available over a period of 3 months. We look for startups that will benefit most from cooperation with StartupYard, so ongoing support and assistance should become a natural extension of our relationship over time.

What do you mean by mentor driven?

Our program revolves around the mentors. During the first month, you will go through intense mentoring sessions with industry experts from many different businesses, including a host of c-level executives from leading tech companies, as well as successful business founders and investors. You’ll then follow up continuously with those mentors who are best placed to help you expand your network, and make connections you need going forward.

Will we receive training?

It depends what you mean by training. We’re not a school, and we won’t teach you how to code, but we organize one-to-one sessions with experts on specific topics like financial projections, investments, growth hacking, media training, pitching, etc.

Do I have to pay to participate?

No. Participation in StartupYard is free of charge and we issue a capped convertible note valued at €40,000 for your participation in the program. The cap depends on the stage of your startup but typically varies between €800,000 and €1.5m with a 20% discount. If your startup is more advanced, the cap will be higher of course. In other words, we are flexible and nothing is set in stone. The convertible note is valid for 18 months.

Do you invest in start-ups?

Teams that are selected can receive, if they want, a €20,000 investment via a convertible note. We also offer follow-on funds to our best performing startups.

I’m a single founder. Can I still apply?

In rare cases, we select solo founders. However, the vast majority of our startups have a founding team. A founding team is not only important for you as a company, but it is vital for the StartupYard program, which is far too demanding for a typical single founder alone.

I’m not located in Prague. Do I have to be physically present on-site?

No. StartupYard is a fully-remote program.

Can I apply even if I am not from Europe?

Yes you can but you must be in a similar time-zone as us (Paris, Prague, Berlin).

We have already raised money from friends/family or business angels. Can we still apply?

Yes you can. We are not about money. We are about growing your company to the next level.

How can we apply?

Very simple: if you already have a deck you just need to upload it and we will review it in detail. If you don’t have a deck (or if you are not happy with it), you can just answer a series of questions. In either case, just go to our apply page and select the program that’s right for you.