The Difference Engine is a full time 13 week acceleration programme for digital businesses that combines investment capital of £20,000 with mentoring, support, office accommodation and various other services. At the conclusion of the programme the participating businesses are expected to be investor ready and will be given the opportunity to present their businesses and products to potential investors at a demo day.
The overwhelming impression after the programme’s first two demo days in Newcastle and London is that the Difference Engine certainly does make a difference. Colin Willis, managing director of business angel syndicate Hotspur Capital Partners, went so far as to say that, ‘this is the best thing to have come out of the North East for a very long time!’
The demo days, held in Newcastle on 25th May and in London on 7th June, were sponsored jointly by North East Access to Finance and Microsoft and saw nine international teams graduate from the programme and move towards securing the investment or the partners that needed to grow their business to the next stage.
The Difference Engine is currently participating at various events across Europe with a number of the programme graduates. This has been designed to allow potential participants to get a much better understanding of the programme from the people who actually took part in it.
Applications for the next programme are open until 23 July after which 20 teams will be shortlisted and ten selected to take part in the programme commencing on 20th September 2010.
For more information about the Difference Engine please visit:
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