Lightning Lab to hold two accelerator programmes for Kiwi start-ups

The Lightning Lab has announced a Founder Series to give start-ups the opportunity to learn about two new programmes, set to take place in 2016.

The Lightning Lab XX, to be held in Wellington, will focus on accelerating women-led companies, while the Lightning Lab Digital, held in Auckland, will take a closer look at applications and technology.

Both are aimed at entrepreneurs who want to learn more about launching a start-up and maintaining growth.

The Founder Series sessions will follow a similar agenda, beginning with an introduction, followed by a '10 lessons to learn about building tech start-ups' session, and ending with questions and answers.

They will be held in New Zealand's major cities throughout October and November.

Lightning Lab XX

According to the Lightning Lab, there are far fewer women in start-ups than men.

"We believe diverse teams create stronger companies and we want to help bring more gender balance into our ecosystem.

"Data from various studies and reports also suggests that diverse teams perform better and generate higher returns. Therefore, our next programme in Wellington focuses on startups that have at least one female co-founder," says the Lightning Lab.

This accelerator aims to provide founders resources and support to start a company and thrive in a chosen field.

It provides access to role models, coaches and mentors from around the world. These mentors include Natalia Albert, the COO of Inspiring Stories Trust and voluntary organiser of TEDxWomen; Kristen Lunman, Wipster COO and head of marketing; and Anna Guenther, PledgeMe co-founder.

Lightning Lab Digital

This programme will run from March-July 2016 and is a refresh of the same accelerator run last year.

It is designed to bring more value to teams and is based around:

• Applications: Web/Enterprise 2.0, BI/data/analytics, and gaming/simulation.
• Technology: Web, SaaS, mobile, open source, data integration, and middleware.

Lightning Lab is a four month programme with the first three months focussed on gaining traction in the lead up to demo day, with a final four weeks focused on raising investment.