Welcome to LaunchBox09 – A DC Incubator

If you’ve spent any time in Washington DC lately, you know that our little town is buzzing with energy.  Certainly the promise of once in a lifetime change under a new administration has a lot of people excited by the possibility of a brighter future.  Certainly a strong component of this growing buzz has to do with the Obama administration, but at the same time the DC technology community’s growing respect on the national stage is playing a part as well.

Today we’re proud to announce another reason for people take note of DC’s innovative technology culture:

“LaunchBox Digital is announcing that it is now accepting applications for its Summer 2009 business accelerator program, LaunchBox09.  LaunchBox Digital provides entrepreneurs an accelerated path to getting early-stage businesses critical early financial support, as well as advice and practical guidance on how to best bring their ideas to market or enhance traction for products already in the market. Founded by three technology industry veterans, and supported by a roster of great advisors who have built successful digital businesses and tens of billions in value, LaunchBox Digital is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs overcome obstacles and succeed.” FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE

iStrategyLabs is on board as the marketing partner for what has so far been a wildly successful initiative. We’ll be making sure interested parties far and wide know about LaunchBox09, but will also be providing expert advice to prospective and accepted applicants on how to market their new businesses. Here are the facts about last year’s accelerator program and how to get involved this year:

9 companies participated (portfolio)  in LaunchBox08

6 companies have received subsequent funding thus far

• 3 Series A financings
• 3 significant angel financings
• Approximately $6 million in additional funding

I’m pretty sure that’s a .670 batting average for applicants who gained acceptance to the program. WOW…

If you’re a budding entrepreneur in DC/MD/VA or beyond, now is the time to get crackin’ on an application to LaunchBox09. Do the following things if you’re hoping to grab some angel investment and work your butt off in a crappy economy to become a shining star in the business community:

1) Visit LaunchBoxDigital and dig into some of the back story of what this is all about

2) Join LaunchBoxDigital’s Facebook Group so you can get updates, find a collaborator or poke around and see who else is in the mix.

3) RSVP to the Application Deadline Day of March 16th so we can send you updates you’ll need during the application process

4) RSVP to “Zero to Brand in 48 hours” – a webinar presented by Peter Corbett (me) that will help you do the following:

• Easily express the problem your product/service addresses

• Identify your target audience and target sectors and how they like to be communicated with

• Develop a brand personality for your start-up that will drive all communications as well as inform feature/user experience decisions

• Define your value proposition and drive it home in a unique way – anchored with a brand promise and reasons to believe

• Write a brand story that represents the long form explanation of why your start-up exists and how it came to be (you’ll tell this story a 1000 times)

• Nail down a tag line, choose a color palette, select your typographic direction and create a brand identity

If you’re thirsty for more, John McKinley (form CTO of AOL and LaunchBox Digital Co-Founder) has a great post up about the accelerator program here.