Amazon Web Services has teamed up with Techstars, a pre-seed investor for backing startups, to launch a new program that helps startups launched by underrepresented founders.
The AWS Impact Bootcamps will provide underrepresented founders in six cities worldwide with AWS technical training, $5,000 in AWS credits, a pathway to Techstars accelerators, expert business coaching, and more. The program builds on AWS’s $30 million commitment to black, women, Latino, and LGBTQIA+ founders, first launched in 2022.
“Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not,” said Dr. Nashlie Sephus, principal AI/ML tech evangelist at AWS. “The Impact Accelerator was a great first step in offering outsized opportunity to black, women, Latino, LGBTQIA+, founders and others committed to the cause of inclusion for all, so they could get the capital, training, mentoring, and technical guidance they needed to innovate. With the AWS Impact Bootcamps, we want to double down on this support and reach more founders in more places.”
The AWS Impact Bootcamps program will launch in Atlanta, New York, Mexico City, and London in 2025, and Tokyo and Berlin in early 2026. Each bootcamp will offer an intensive two-day experience, equipping early-stage, underrepresented founders with the training and tools needed to begin building on AWS. Workshops will be managed locally by the program partner, Techstars.
“At Techstars, we strongly believe that great ideas come from anywhere and anyone, no matter their backgrounds or where they live,” said David Cohen, founder and CEO of Techstars. “This partnership with AWS will allow us to reach founders we might not otherwise meet and give them the mentorship and guidance they need to scale.”
The first bootcamp in Atlanta will take place Sept. 8-9, with additional programs launching in the following months. To apply, founding teams must identify as a member of an underrepresented community or demonstrate work, activities, or engagement that otherwise supports such communities.
Best-in-class participating startups will be invited to the AWS Founder Retreat, a weekend featuring in-person investor meetings and a chance to win up to $50,000 in unrestricted grant funding, as well as an additional $15,000 in AWS promotional credits.
Top participants will also be considered for Techstars’ accelerator programs or Founder Catalyst pre-accelerator programs.
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