Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Techstars have announced a new global initiative aimed at supporting underrepresented startup founders. The AWS Impact Bootcamps program will provide technical training, business coaching, and access to funding for founders from diverse backgrounds.
Dr. Nashlie Sephus, Principal AI/ML Tech Evangelist at AWS, said, “Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not. The Impact Accelerator was a great first step in offering outsized opportunity to Black, Women, Latino, LGBTQIA+, founders and others committed to the cause of inclusion for all, so they could get the capital, training, mentoring, and technical guidance they needed to innovate. With the AWS Impact Bootcamps, we want to double down on this support and reach more founders in more places.”
The bootcamps will launch in 2025 across six cities: Atlanta, New York, Mexico City, London, Tokyo (early 2026), and Berlin (early 2026). Each event will last two days and offer participants technical workshops managed by Techstars. Founders will also receive $5,000 in AWS promotional credits.
David Cohen, Founder and CEO of Techstars stated: “At Techstars, we strongly believe that great ideas come from anywhere and anyone, no matter their backgrounds or where they live. This partnership with AWS will allow us to reach founders we might not otherwise meet and give them the mentorship and guidance they need to scale.”
The first bootcamp is scheduled for September 8-9 in Atlanta. Eligible applicants must identify as part of an underrepresented community or show engagement supporting such groups. They should also have a need for cloud technology and be self-funded or have early-stage investment up to Series A.
Top startups from the program may be invited to the AWS Founder Retreat for investor meetings and a chance at $50,000 in grant funding plus additional promotional credits. Some participants may also be considered for further programs through Techstars.
More information about the initiative can be found at https://aws.amazon.com/startups/lp/aws-impact-bootcamps.
AWS provides over 240 cloud services globally across multiple regions (https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/global-infrastructure/), serving startups as well as large enterprises.
Techstars invests in early-stage companies worldwide through its accelerator network (https://www.techstars.com/accelerators), having supported firms like Chainalysis and DataRobot.
