Startup America Partnership Opens for Business
EO Staff
New Platform Provides Startups with Direct Access to Partner Resources
Santa Clara, Calif. – Sept. 13, 2011 –The Startup America Partnership, an organization working to help young companies grow in order to create jobs in America, today announced the official public launch of its platform for startups. Young companies can now register to become verified Startup America Firms and gain access to resources from more than twenty five leading companies. Fourteen new partners have added another $330 million of private-sector commitments offered by the Partnership.
“Since our launch at the White House in January, we’ve been delighted by how the private sector has stepped up and committed resources that will accelerate the growth of America’s young companies,” said Scott Case, CEO of the Startup America Partnership. “We’re excited to now provide direct access to these amazing offerings that will help maximize the success of startups.”
Young companies interested in becoming Startup America Firms can now apply at
www.startupamericapartnership.org. Eligible companies will be designated as a Startup, Rampup or Speedup based on the following criteria:
- Startup: Young companies currently in product/service development formed after January 1, 2006 with two or more employees.
- Rampup: Growing companies with at least five employees that are focused on customer acquisition that have a product or service being utilized by customers.
- Speedup: Hyper-growth businesses with over 25 employees whose expansion is being driven by customer demand and new markets.
Once approved, each Startup America Firm will have access to a personalized dashboard called “My Success Kit,” with which they can manage the resources they choose to take advantage of. The resources fall into five key areas that entrepreneurs find critical to success: Talent, Services, Expertise, Customers and Capital. As part of the platform launch, the web site now also includes a searchable resource directory that firms can use to find the most relevant offerings based on their specific needs, stage of growth, and location.
Startup America Partnership is also announcing four new partnerships focused on mentorship expertise, providing thousands of Startup America Firms with training, mentors and advisors. Mentoring partners include The Alternative Board, Vistage International, Entrepreneurs Organization and the Young Entrepreneur Council.
The Partnership also recently announced its four corporate sponsors, American Express OPEN, Dell Inc., Intuit Inc., and Microsoft Corp, and its
all-entrepreneur board. For more information, and to register as a Startup America Firm today, please visit
www.startupamericapartnership.org.
About the Startup America Partnership
The Startup America Partnership was launched at the White House in response to President Obama’s call to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation. The Partnership is bringing together an alliance of major corporations, funders, service providers, mentors and advisors working to dramatically increase the prevalence and success of high-growth enterprises in the U.S. AOL co-founder Steve Case chairs the Partnership and the Kauffman and Case Foundations are founding partners. American Express OPEN, Dell Inc., Intuit Inc., and Microsoft are sponsors. The Partnership will identify, measure and report on the effectiveness of cross-sector collaboration in support of entrepreneurial ventures and its effect on job creation and growth. For more information on the Partnership, visit www.startupamericapartnership.org and follow at
www.twitter.com/startupamerica and
www.facebook.com/startupamerica.
Media Contact:
Chris Roche
Startup America Partnership
+1.202.445.8717
[email protected]
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