Accelerate Cambridge, Cambridge Judge Business School’s in-house start-up “accelerator”, is hosting the first ever Cambridge FinTech Startup Weekend on 21-23 November.
This three-day intensive event will bring together finance and innovation entrepreneurs who want to address challenges in tomorrow’s banking.
Participants will have 54 hours to test their idea, build a team and pitch to a panel of judges. The FinTech weekend will start on Friday 21 November, when delegates will have an opportunity to pitch their best ideas and inspire others to join their teams. Then on Saturday, 22 November, participants will work with their teams and with the support of experienced mentors will validate ideas and build minimal viable product.
On the last day, Sunday 23 November, the teams will pitch their concepts to a panel of expert judges – successful entrepreneurs, leading academics and venture capitalists. The winning teams will have an opportunity to take their businesses to the next level. The panel of judges includes Alan Barrell, Entrepreneur in Residence, Kieran Murray Managing Director, Business Development & Strategy at BNY Mellon Investment Management.
Tim Gifford, founder of startup ELTjam attended the first EdTech Startup Weekend earlier this year. Tim, who is now on the Accelerate Cambridge Programme, said the EdTech startup weekend was a great experience
Once the opening 60-second pitch had been delivered there was a tangible shift in the energy within the room… The creative impulse suddenly became airborne and contagious.
Hanadi Jabado, Director of Accelerate Cambridge, said: “The startup weekend is great opportunity to develop a business concept in less than three days. For this FinTech weekend the goal is to bring together people who want to make a difference to the financial sector. We hope participating entrepreneurs will create something brilliant and will bring positive changes into finance sector.”
The event will run from 17:00 on Friday, 21 November to 21:00 on Sunday 23 November at Cambridge Judge Business School.