As a new season of mentoring begins, accelerators such as 500 Startups are using innovative strategies to woo a diverse set of young
entrepreneurs.
500 Startups, which is keen to have more women entrepreneurs from Middle East, India, South America to join its latest batch opening in Silicon Valley, is pitching its Chief Executive Dave McClure as James Bond 007 out on a mission to recruit the “best agent entrepreneurs”.
Dave McClure’s incubator/seed fund 500 Startups has began accepting open applications for its accelerator program with the help of AngelList.
Typically, the Valley-based incubator, which provides mentoring and seed capital drawn from a $80 million fund, takes in about 25-30 startups in every batch. It has graduated six batches so far.
The program has an open application process as it is not able to reach out to every one on the planet through its referral network. Its last batch of companies included two startups from Jordan, Dakwak and Tamatem, that weren’t on the accelerator’s radar until they applied for the program.
