Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) has launched an accelerator program for Australia and New Zealand entrepreneurs with early stage ideas called Xcelerate.
Xcelerate is a partnership between CCA and local accelerator BlueChilli. The six month program is seeking entrepreneurs with early stage ideas (napkin to prototype) to help them build “impactful, investible, globally scalable tech startups”.
Other global companies to launch local accelerator programs include beverage giant Lion, with its Lion Unleashed program which was launched last year, and the Chobani Food Incubator (CFI) which kicked off in February.
CCA said it is not in search of new beverage ideas. Instead, it is asking applicants for ideas that “reimagine customer experience, commerce and logistics to leave the world better than you found it”.
Recipients will receive hands-on support from startup, technology and business experts to validate their ideas, build their technical product and launch it into market, in 12 weeks.
In addition to support, entrepreneurs will also be given $38,000 pre-seed funding and up to $500,000 in follow-on funding, and will also be given the potential opportunity to both pilot and scale their business with Coca-Cola Amatil.
Applications close 14 May.
