There is no shortage of accelerators in Amsterdam. And as the name suggests, joining one can seriously accelerate your startup’s growth. However, the intense process of joining one can be a hurdle for many founders. In addition, there is often a selection process for accelerators so not all can join such a program.
That is why, in 2018, Startupbootcamp decided to disrupt its own offering by creating an all-digital platform to help startups grow. They called it Accelerator Squared. During the lockdowns of the pandemic, their digital-only model proved so valuable, StartupAmsterdam and Smart Health Amsterdam jumped aboard to support their community. The result is the localised joint venture, Amsterdam Squared, directed at the Amsterdam startup community.
Knowledge to help founders scale
The platform offers quality content and networking opportunities for Amsterdam-based founders to help accelerate their business. Anyone joining can take advantage of the knowledge flow created during the ten years Startupbootcamp has been running. There is quality information on fundraising, business modelling, growth hacking, customer development and much more.
So far, it sounds like an accelerator. But Sharmila Vooren, Digital Community Lead at Accelerator Squared, prefers not to call it that. “Accelerator programmes are generally very intensive and hand-holding.”, she says. “Amsterdam Squared offers access to content, deals and a global community that you can use at your own time, from any location with internet access and it is completely for free.”