Mentors

We look for mentors from all walks of life, but we would particularly like to speak with people who have been entrepreneurs in their own right. The ‘been there got the t-shirt, 1000 mile startup stare’ is what we think adds the most value to our startups. A mentor that can share their experience and say ‘when I was in that situation I did this and it didn’t work’ or ‘I did this and it worked’ is worth way more than any investment.

Who are the mentors?

The mentors are the key to the overall success of the accelerator and include; technology experts, professionals (accountants, lawyers), marketing & PR experts, financial advisors (angels, private equity, venture capital) and entrepreneurs. See our current mentors.

What time do mentors need to commit?

We are looking for our mentors to commit to a full day to meet the teams in September, followed by one hour a week for mentor catch up meetings (via phone, skype, video conference or face to face). Obviously if you can provide more time then the teams would be delighted.

We recognise that some mentors will struggle to provide this level of support, but may be prepared to provide limited phone support and or important connections, which can be just as valuable.

What will I do as a mentor?

You will meet with the teams who will present you with their current challenges. Using your experience, expertise or connections, you will help them overcome the challenges that their startup faces. This is an on-going process over the 13-week period. See our Mentor Manifesto

What’s in it for me?

Firstly, this will be an exciting process and you will have the opportunity to work with some amazing technology startups, maybe even the next Facebook.

For those with cash to invest it’s a great way of carrying out due diligence on the team and the business before you invest.

Some mentors and teams have chosen to continue to work in a more formal way at the end of the programme as either trusted advisor’s or joined the board as Executive or Non-Executive Directors.

You will have the opportunity to meet and build connections with all the accelerator mentors (expected to be 100+).

Your profile will be on the Oxygen Accelerator website, raising your profile across the tech community and beyond.

It will be fun and you will be supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs.

See our Mentor Manifesto