By Tatjana Büchler – NMA
Here are our four main takeaways from running a Virtual Accelerator for the first time.
- How to: Virtual Event Formats and Community Creation
- How to: Tools for a Virtual Accelerator
- How to: EU Projects Online
- Outlook: Will there be a Virtual Accelerator in 2021 as well?
Cozy event Finale for the first Batch of NMA’s Virtual Accelerator program: For the last time in 2020 the next media accelerator assembled the international community of: investors, media managers, mentors and partners from Europe and Israel to celebrate the graduation of the Batch 11 teams into the ever-growing NMA alumni family.
“Feliz Navidad Próspero año y felicidad…” resonated from the speakers of the almost 50 participants of the NMA X-Mas Pitch and Party Event. We prepared a Christmas playlist, some had mulled wine in hand, most of the audience dressed up to watch musicube, Frontpage TV, DigiWhat and ForTeeNews pitch on the virtual stage for the last time this year. Even in 2020, we were willing to make it work.
Cozy Christmas atmosphere at the NMA Pitch and Party Event
NMA First Look Event – the NMA investors watch the teams pitch for the first time
Which Tools does it take for a Virtual Accelerator?
For bridging the digital gap, we used Slack in daily communication, the video solution of our alumni team Sceenic, Zoom for bigger Events, Clique.ai for ecosystem management as well as calendly for scheduling meetings more easily.
Create, Change, Innovate – we at the accelerator as well, had to step up to this challenge – we were not only running an accelerator program fully remote for the very first time in NMA history but also surpassed big milestones…you can take a guess – right – virtually only.
Virtual Accelerator and an EU Project that got kicked off online
Helping startups grow by connecting them to relevant key players and cooperating with our partners in pan-european projects is our passion: We foster this by contributing to the EU Project MediaFutures. Its goal is to connect artists and startups in joint data-driven projects. There are three different tracks in the Open Call, one for startups, one for artists and one for startups and artists. Currently, MediaFutures is running the first Open Call (Deadline January 28th). More info can be found here and in the Webinar on December 17th.
Last year’s physical Demo Day of the NMA Batch 9 at KNUST
Virtual Accelerator in 2021 as well?
When looking into the crystal bowl for 2021, we of course would wish for bringing back more physical encounters, more hybrid events, more real connections. For now, we have to evaluate week by week and monitor closely how the pandemic situation evolves. Yet still, we hope that we will be able to come back to our traditions like celebrating our Demo Day with the teams’ final pitches on the big stage at the famous Hamburg music venue KNUST.
So, dear Santa we from NMA would only have one wish this year: Bring back the physical or at least the hybrid stage in 2021. Thank you.
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If you would like to know more about the next media accelerator (NMA) – check out nma.vc.
Applications for the upcoming Batch 12 of the startup accelerator based in Hamburg, Germany are currently open.
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