The Scale Up New Mexico program, funded in part by the United States Economic Development Administration and housed at New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center, will be offering a TechSprint online accelerator to tech startups in New Mexico.
TechSprint is seeking entrepreneurs and startups located in New Mexico to apply to the free accelerator, which will take place July 13 through Aug. 17. The application deadline is June 30, and selected participants will be notified by July 5.
TechSprint is one of several initiatives under Scale Up NM, a suite of startup support programming for early-stage technology venture development. The program scales existing Arrowhead Center resources such as Sprint business accelerators, Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer assistance and commercialization support.
“Our Sprint model fosters collaborations between entrepreneurs and stakeholders, enabling smoother integration into the entrepreneurship ecosystem and establishing valuable connections for potential investment,” said Dana Catron, deputy director of Arrowhead Center. “This assistance positions startups favorably to pursue subsequent funding opportunities, such as the Small Business Innovation Research program, as it guides them through activities focused on customer identification and market feasibility validation.”
TechSprint is an immersive accelerator program designed for tech founders, providing guidance in technology market validation. The program emphasizes crucial aspects such as customer discovery, market insights, commercial potential and attracting financing from investors. TechSprint features presentations, interactive discussions, valuable feedback, goal-setting and mentorship from industry experts. To accelerate traction for the participating startups, each session is supported by a minimum of three mentors and advisers who specialize in technology development, commercialization and securing capital.
Additionally, each participant will have access to weekly one-on-one meetings with an Arrowhead team member or mentor who provides customized assistance and address individual questions and concerns.
“Throughout the sessions, founders will benefit from the guidance of mentors and advisors who will assist them in setting objectives, engaging with experts in technology development and defining the next steps and strategies for raising capital,” said Carlos Murguia, Scale Up NM program manager.
Featured advisers and mentors include accomplished entrepreneurs, experienced operators, angel and venture investors, and world-leading scientists, engineers and economists.
To qualify for TechSprint, startups must be based in New Mexico or have plans to move to New Mexico. Participants should also be available to attend a weekly two-hour virtual session for the duration of the cohort and to meet and work on technology-based innovation.
For more information, contact Murguia at cmurguia@nmsu.edu or apply at https://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/program/scale-up-new-mexico/techsprint/index.html.
