TechStars Nurtures Start-Ups With Mentors

On Thursday, nearly a dozen technology start-ups present their new or improved company at an event called TechStars Demo Day at Webster Hall in New York. Each start-up gets eight minutes on stage to convince investors sitting in the audience — the sponsors say they are expecting several hundred — to finance the company.

The presenting start-ups have each been involved in a 13-week program operated by TechStars http://www.techstars.org/nyc/ , a technology incubator that pulls in successful executives to help mentor new companies.

Twice a year, TechStars, which originally began in Boulder, Colo., invites start-ups to apply for the company’s program. If accepted, the start-ups are offered $18,000 in financing and access to more than 100 mentors who have previous experience working with major technology companies. In exchange, TechStars receives a 6 percent stake in each company.

By NICK BILTON

Full Story: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/techstars-nurtures-start-ups-with-mentors/?ref=technology