Google has agreed to support the folks behind Startup Weekend to jumpstart and foster startup communities from around the world.
Through a global sponsorship, the search and online advertising juggernaut will enable the expansion of Startup Weekend’s current operations, but there’s a bit more to the story than just that.
The alliance will also facilitate the worldwide rollout of pre-Startup Weekend Google developer workshops and – allow me to quote from the briefing I got – ‘vertical specific initiatives in areas such as education and health’.
Update: here’s Google’s blog post about the partnership:
“Started in early 2008, there are now more than 280 GTUGs in 86 countries that bring tech enthusiasts together via hundreds of events each month.
GTUG members will receive discounted registration for Startup Weekend events and will help run pre-weekend local bootcamps on Google’s developer platforms and tools (e.g., App Engine, Android, Chrome).”
Startup Weekend’s Joey Pomerenke tells me the partnership involves financial sponsorship of the organization, which recently became an affiliate of the Kauffman Foundation. He declined to specify exactly how much we’re talking here, but did say it concerns a ‘significant amount of capital’.
Earlier this week, we reported that Startup Weekend EDU also received a $250,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
From the press briefing we received:
The initial partnership rollout will begin in cities with active Google developer communities in the form of Google Technology User Groups (GTUGs) and existing Startup Weekend communities. The pre-Startup Weekend GTUG workshops will help develop the technical skills of ambitious entrepreneurs so that they may quickly and successfully implement those skills just days later on real startup projects at Startup Weekend events.
Workshops are already scheduled in Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, San Francisco, and Dallas, and internationally in London, Buenos Aires, and Sao Paulo, with more cities being added soon.
Startup Weekend recruits a highly motivated group of developers, business managers, startup enthusiasts, marketing gurus, graphic artists and more to a 54 hour event that builds communities, companies and projects. Founded in 2007 by Andrew Hyde, the weekend is a concept of a conference focusing on learning by creating. It is known for its quick decisions, out of the box thinking, unique facilitation technique and letting the founders show what they can do. The participants that attend a Startup Weekend...
Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world’s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of online tools and platforms including: Gmail, Maps, YouTube, and Google+, the company’s extension into the social space. Most of its Web-based products are free, funded by Google’s highly integrated online advertising platforms AdWords and AdSense. Google promotes the idea that advertising should be highly targeted and relevant to users thus providing...
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