Deadline: May 15, 2021.

IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator is an investment-readiness and technical mentorship program, run in partnership with Village Capital and IBM. The program supports impact-focused startups leveraging highly sensitive data to improve the quality of, and access to digital, financial and healthcare services. The IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator has already supported 45 early-stage startups across the world and is now open to applications for Cohort 4.

This year the program will expand to support more companies working on impactful datatech products. The 2021 program will consist of three components:

• The IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator (15 companies): 2 years of technical mentorship from IBM (including up to $120,000 of free IBM cloud credits) & a 3 month intensive Village Capital Investment Readiness Accelerator with bespoke mentor and investor matching. 
• Friends of Hyper Protect (40 companies): 2 years of quarterly technical mentorship from IBM (including up to $120,000 of free IBM cloud credits) & a 3-month Investment Readiness support fromVillage Capital focusing on milestone planning and investor matchmaking. 
• The Datatech for Good Coalition: A coalition on Village Capital’s Abaca platform that matches datatech for good startups with like-minded investors and peers.

ELIGIBILITY

If managing sensitive data is at the core of your business, this accelerator is for you!  To be eligible, you must be: 

• Legally incorporated as a for-profit entity
• Using personally identifiable information to increase access to digital, financial, or healthcare services.
• Under $1 million in yearly revenue
• Less than 5 years old
• Have some traction (this is not limited to revenue, but can include successful pilot studies, number of users, and/or strategic partnerships)
• Have positive social impact
• Be able to commit to attendance of a founder/member of exec team (~40 hours total between October and December 2021, 3 hour sessions) 

BENEFITS

• Up to $120,000 in IBM Cloud credits
  • Up to $10,000 per month for one year
• 6+ hours of virtual training by Village Capital
  • Investment readiness assessment
  • Investment milestone planning
  • Impact Metrics
  • 1/2 group mentor sessions specific to your needs
• Village Capital coordinated mentor and Investor engagement
  • Invitation to join Village Capital’s global Abaca online network, with over 1,000 investors and organizations that are supporting social entrepreneurs. 
  • 1-/2 mentor tailored mentor/ investor sessions 
• IBM collaboration
  • 2 years of technical mentorship from IBM on a quarterly basis. 
  • Go-to-market support
  • Co-marketing and branding
  • Access to the IBM network 

OFFICIAL LINK