Queen's announces major partnership with Techstars to support Northern Ireland start-ups

Queen's University Belfast has launched a four-year partnership with Techstars and Ormeau Labs to support tech start-ups in Northern Ireland. The programme will provide mentoring, accelerator funding opportunities and events to connect local founders with international networks.

Queen's University Belfast has launched a four-year partnership with Techstars and Ormeau Labs to support tech start-ups in Northern Ireland. The launch event took place at Ormeau Labs in Belfast and brought together founders, investors, students, researchers and operators. The initiative is part of a drive to increase start-up formation in Northern Ireland, which is lower than other UK regions. The programme is designed to help founders build and scale globally while expanding opportunities for students and researchers. Key facts: - The partnership runs for four years and was announced at Ormeau Labs in Belfast as the first of its kind in the region. - Activity will include the Founder Catalyst Programme and a series of events focused on capability building, connection and access to international networks. - Through the collaboration, Northern Ireland start-ups will have access to one-to-one mentoring with global industry leaders and accelerator funding opportunities. - Techstars has mentored more than 10,000 companies globally since its formation in 2006. - QUBIS, the commercialisation arm of Queen's University, has supported more than 100 spin-outs and helped create thousands of jobs. Summary: Organisers say the collaboration aims to strengthen Belfast's start-up community, attract investment and open new opportunities for students, researchers and entrepreneurs. The announced activities include mentoring, funding and network events over the four-year period. Specific timelines and cohort details beyond these activities are undetermined at this time.