Blue Startups’ Second Cohort
Angry Birds Star Wars II will launch Sept. 19 | Photo courtesy Rovio
You may remember me mentioning Blue Startups in a recent column. Once again, the Hawaii-based technology accelerator with an Asia and Pacific focus is accepting applications for a second cohort of startup companies. Founded by Henk Rogers of Blue Planet Software (sole agent of Tetris), the company provides investment capital and mentorship to startup companies in Hawaii.
“Blue Startups’ first cohort has outperformed our expectations,” says Rogers.
The first eight companies to go through the Blue Startups program have collectively attracted more than $3 million in investment capital. According to program alumni, the mentorship and support received at Blue Startups was critical in moving their business to the next level.
Each company will receive an up-front investment of $20,000 and access to more than $500,000 in services. Workspace for each founding team (up to three people) is provided at Blue Startups’ Honolulu offices. In exchange for the capital and in-kind services provided, Blue Startups takes an equity stake in each company.
Blue Startups has a network of more than 50 mentors, who assist in accelerating the startup companies in the program. Blue Startups has funding from the state of Hawaii, Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation and private investors.
Blue Startups is looking for capital-efficient and scalable-technology companies, including Internet, software, mobile, gaming and e-commerce. The program accepts up to 10 companies for each cohort. Hurry, the next application deadline is July 31. Visit bluestartups.com for more information.
Click Chick’s Mobile App of the Week: Angry Birds Star Wars II
Angry Birds has come a long way, and once again we can look forward to another exciting release. This time it will be Angry Birds Star Wars II, which will follow the story of the three prequel Star Wars movies, including the never-before-seen Angry Bird Star Wars characters. For the first time, you can choose to “Join the Pork Side” and play as one of the villainous pigs.
“Angry Birds Star Wars was a blockbuster hit for us and Lucasfilm with more than 100 million downloads since its release. We are thrilled to be able to introduce the exciting next chapter in the Angry Birds Star Wars saga to our fans around the world,” said Jami Laes, executive vice president of Games at Rovio Entertainment. “Some of the most amazing character additions are versions of young Anakin, Mace Windu and Darth Maul. Hasbro’s TELEPODS technology also provides a great way to extend the experience beyond the app and bring a whole new dimension to the gameplay.”
In addition, the TELE-PODS line (similar to Skylanders or Disney Infinity) from Hasbro will bring an interactive layer of gameplay and content. New characters and super-powers can be unlocked for players by placing one of the collectible TELE-PODS physical characters onto your phone or tablet camera and scanning it into the game. Basically, you’ll be teleporting your physical character into the game. More than 30 characters will be available upon the game’s launch.
You can look for this Sept. 19 in various app stores, but no price point has been announced yet. If it’s anything like the previous versions, my guess it will be about two bucks with possible in-app purchases. clickchick@outlook.com
