Backed by major banks and telcos, the Amsterdam arm of Startupbootcamp has launched an NFC and contactless offering, inviting young firms to pitch for a place on a three month programme with access to funding, workspace and specialist advice.
With sites in five European cities, Startupbootcamp is an accelerator programme providing seed funding and mentorship over three months to young firms to help them get off the ground.
At the request of Vodafone, the Amsterdam outpost has launched a programme dedicated to NFC and contactless, which will kick off in October and be open to 10 start-ups from around the world.
With seed funding of EUR15,000, free co-working space, a sponsor package and guidance from mentors, the participants will get the opportunity to boost their fledgling businesses over the course of three months.
The grand finale will be an investor demo day on 17 January, where the start-ups will present their products and ideas to an audience of potential funders.
Vodafone, ABN Amro, International Card Services, CM and Javest Investment Fund have already committed to participate, while Rabobank, Thales Nederland, PwC, VMW Taxand and AxiCom are contributing resources and expertise.
Patrick de Zeeuw and Ruud Hendriks, programme founders, say: "Most companies will eventually encounter contactless interaction challenges and opportunities. The contactless accelerator programme is here to educate, stimulate and execute on these challenges and opportunities and to develop a local NFC & Contactless Interaction ecosystem."