Application

What are we looking for?

Through the application, we want to understand the following aspects: 1) your personal background, 2) what you are building, and 3) what are the objectives that you are striving to achieve during the three months in the SF Bay Area.

The program revolves around the objectives of the participant for the program. Our program provides value for startup teams at two different stages: 1) idea validation and 2) go-to-market/expansion stage. The objectives for the program could be related to the following:

Idea Validation

Validating your business idea

Doing user testing

Finding co-founder(s)

Gaining new perspectives & inspirations

Go-to-market

Doing a Go-to-Market strategy

Expand to the US market

Raising capital

Recruiting

Qualities we are looking for

Driven

You are goal-oriented - as you set objectives for yourself, you put 100% focus on achieving them.

Curious

You are always ready to learn new things and interested in knowing how others perceive the world.

Entrepreneurial

You are an aspiring entrepreneur or an entrepreneur with a well communicated agenda to be realized in Silicon Valley.

Bold

You believe in your ideas and are not afraid of standing out.

The application criteria

You are eligible to apply to the program if the following points check out:

You are 1-2 people team representing a startup or looking to found one (Note! If you’re applying with a two people team, each team member needs to submit an application for the program separately)

You have well-outlined objectives and a plan for the program. Guidelines for drafting plan as well as an example plan can be found from here

At least one of your team members are either 1) Finnish or 2) live in Finland

Everyone in your team is over 18 years old

You are able to cover the program participation fee (700€/person) and your living costs during the program which are estimated to be c. 800-1200€/month per participant (meaning food, public transportation, etc.)

You are able to either 1) apply for an ESTA or 2) have an existing visa to the US (e.g., B-1/B-2 visitor visa) for the duration of the program

Schedule for the S23 Program

Application and Program schedule

Application Process

Application period
20.10.-4.12.2022

Selection for interviews
5.-7.12.2022

Interviews
8.-15.12.2022

Final Selection
21.12.2022

Program

Orientation
16.1.-17.2.2023

Program
19.2.-13.5.2023

Interested in participating? Stay tuned for our future batches!

The application period for the S23 batch has unfortunately ended. Sign up to here to be among the first to hear about our future batches!