A dozen start-ups moved into the new TechStars Boston digs in Kendall Square last week — which feel a bit starchy and corporate for a program that aims to churn out radical new businesses. They'll spend the next three months developing products and services that they'll present to a roomful of prospective investors on June 15th. The teams that participate receive an $18,000 stipend, plus free office space and mentorship from local entrepreneur and venture capitalists; in return, TechStars takes a six percent stake in each company.
This is the first year that Katie Rae, a former executive at Microsoft Cambridge and Lycos, has run the program in Boston.
A dozen companies made it into this year's class. (Last year's included ten.) About half are from New England, and two are from outside the U.S. I had a chance to meet with the founders earlier this week, and here's a quick run-down of what they're up to (note that their strategies can change radically over 90 days — as can company names). Only one company, a real estate-related venture, for some reason doesn't want to disclose that they're part of the TechStars program (even though they have a live Web site), so they're not included on this list.
To read the full, original article click on this link: TechStars Boston 2011: Who Got In - Innovation Economy - Boston.com
Author: Scott Kirsner
