Earlier this month GVA LaunchGurus launched the eighth edition of its accelerator program, the “GVA Accelerator – Startup Academy,” with the participation of 26 high-tech professionals and entrepreneurs. The 10-week program aims to strengthen their projects by providing new skills, business connections and fund-raising opportunities.
Among the teachers and business coaches involved in the program is Bob Dorf, co-author of the best selling “Startups Owners Manual,” who shared his vision and methodologies on customer development as well as product design and profitability.
The training program includes “Dialogue in the Dark,” a three-hour session during which participants fulfill communication and business tasks in total darkness. “This approach creates a new attitude to the learning process and team work,” comments GVA LauchGurus founder and CEO Lawrence Wright.
The program will end with a two-week stay in Silicon Valley, where the Russian entrepreneurs will be introduced to potential partners and investors in partnership with the Plug and Play Tech Center.
The GVA Accelerator – Startup Academy claims to have helped so far no fewer than 160 projects “with a success rate exceeding 35%.” These projects have raised $23 million in total.
The accelerator is part of an ecosystem for supporting startup development in Russia, which also includes a “Startup Bootcamp,” a “Venture Academy,” a $10 million seed fund as well as consulting and event activities. These initiatives are backed by GVA, an alliance of Russian and foreign investors led by Magomed Musaev.
