Parallel18 acknowledged as an example of innovation in islands

*Press release

The accelerator will be part of a round table about attraction of talent and startups during the Smart Island World Congress from April 20 to 21 in Calvia, Mallorca

San Juan, Puerto Rico (April 19, 2017) — The executive director of startup accelerator Parallel18 (P18), Sebastián Vidal, was invited to present the program as an example of innovation in islands during the first edition of the Smart Island World Congress (SIWC) from April 20 to 21 in Majorca, Spain.

The event is organized by Fira de Barcelona, ​​the municipality of Calviá and the city of Majorca, with the support of the Balearic government, the World Bank, and UN-Habitat.

The objective of SIWC is to bring together representatives of state and municipal governments and business leaders to discuss new tools and services that respond to the special needs and characteristics of islands; including floating populations, supply chains, connectivity, mobility, and talent retention..

Vidal was invited to present Parallel18 at a round table about talent attraction and startups, in which they will discuss innovative strategies that are being implemented in different islands to establish favorable conditions for entrepreneurs and investors. The other initiatives represented are: Menorca Millenials, The Surf Office, Angel Island and ESADE Ban.

“We were very impressed by this conference because it is the first time that a global event focused on innovation recognizes the particular conditions and challenges that come with being an island. It’s a very interesting opportunity to present the initiatives that are working in Puerto Rico and learn from the projects that are happening in other parts of the world. I’m sure we will find many convergences and possibilities for collaboration,” said P18’s executive director.

The SIWC program will revolve around four main themes: New Connectivity; Urban and Social Development; Talent and Economic Development; and the Islands of the Future. The conferences will address specific issues such as big data, sustainability in urban and tourist planning, smart mobility, education, startups, business models, architecture, and cultural heritage.

Guidance on applications for the fourth generation of P18

Meanwhile, the application process for the fourth generation of P18 remains open until May 8th at midnight. P18 is an international accelerator based in Puerto Rico for innovative high-impact ventures. It offers a $40,000 grant, coaching and mentoring with world-class mentors, and workspace for 5 months in Santurce, as well as access to a valuable network to help achieve internationalization goals.

The program selects up to 40 companies twice a year. They must meet these main criteria: be innovative; have been founded in the past three years; have sales or a validated product; as well as being able to scale at a global level.

Those interested can attend the information sessions about the application process or request an appointment with the team of the accelerator through the email [email protected]. The dates of the next orientations are:

• Wednesday, April 26th 6:30 pm in Parallel18, Santurce (Will be streamed on Facebook Live)
• Friday, April 28th in Mayagüez (place and time will be announced soon)
• Tuesday, May 2nd 6:30 pm incubator INOVA, Caguas

For more information, visit parallel18.com or the accelerators Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/p18startups/.