Amsterdam-based startup Party with a Local has announced they have been selected into the Techstars Connection program. This renowned accelerator program has a reputation of being one of the best accelerators in the world, and only accepts ten startups out of a thousand applications. More importantly: Party with a local is only the third ever Dutch startup to get into the program so far, which is a nice validation for the Amsterdam startup scene.
Love to party?
Party with a Local is based on a simple idea: it connects people who love to party. Travellers can get to know a city much better if they experience it with a local than if they go by their travel guide book. According to founder Dan Fennessy, the app is like couchsurfing – but without the couch.
The right moment
“We’ve been around for a few years, but only since a year and a half we have a full-time team,” says Fennessy. “We felt that with the traction we’ve built over the last year, now was the right moment to apply for Techstars. We actually weren’t applying for any accelerators until we saw Techstars Connection, in partnership with AB InBev, which was just an ideal fit. Techstar’s motto, connecting people to people, product and places, is exactly what Party with a Local does.”
Techstars Connection, in partnership with AB InBev, is launching a new social experience accelerator that will foster innovation and new enterprise through the creation of products, services and experiences in order to help connect people to people, product, and places.
Tough application
Fennessy says that the application process was as tough as you would expect for an accelerator program where only one in a hundred applicants get in. “The initial application itself on f6s.com is thorough, asking a lot of questions about your team, your product, the market, competitors, business model etcetera. We spent a lot of time writing, editing and re-writing our application until we were happy with it. We also made a funny team video in order to stand out, which I think we definitely did.”
Personal recommendations
Fennessey says that personal recommendations from people connected to the Techstars network definitely helped them getting in. “After our initial application we updated Techstars on our progress every week and had a number of calls and interviews, over Skype and in person. “We prepared a lot for what sort of questions to expect, and we made it!”
