Newswise — Early-stage companies that are building apps leveraging blockchain technology are targeted for the Maryland Smith Blockchain Accelerator – an initiative of the Supply Chain Management Center and the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Applications to participate in the accelerator are open until Feb. 21, 2022, with final selections made by March 7. The blockchain accelerator officially begins on March 16, 2022.
The 45-day virtual program will provide participants with content and mentorship and culminates with participants presenting their progress to investors in a Demo Day event.
Participants also will access the FounderTrac virtual accelerator – an online collaborative company building platform – and work closely with industry experts, founders and executives across computer science, engineering and business through group coaching and “Ask Me Anything” sessions. Additionally, the program will provide access to the Founder Focus Assessment algorithm with startup risk readout, as well as the ‘Sherpa’ mentoring and advisory network.
“It is great to see UMD emerging as a leader in the blockchain space, and we are excited to support this initiative with the FounderTrac platform,” says FounderTrac co-founder Ryan Sears.
Participants will showcase their progress and business models to the Dingman Center Angel Group and other attending venture capitalists during the virtual Demo Day. “The Dingman Center Angels is one of the region’s most active investor networks,” says Holly DeArmond, managing director of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. “Partnering on this blockchain accelerator will allow us to build a pipeline of strong, investment-ready companies for our investors while also providing the accelerator participants with connections to active angels at the Demo Day.”
The accelerator represents Maryland Smith’s latest blockchain initiative and complements the Blockchain Business Imperative – a six-week synchronous online certificate program, which began in January. It explores blockchain technology and its potential economic impact across industries – by putting classroom concepts and materials into action.
“The application of blockchain technology to business and society can have international and generational impact,” says Juan Acosta, a 2023 MBA candidate who has been working on the accelerator’s launch.
To apply for the Blockchain Accelerator and for more information, go to https://go.umd.edu/qMM.