The first question an entrepreneur usually has is: Where can I get start-up funds? The second might be: Who can help me with the process?
There are a few organizations that can help.. First Growth Venture Network, TechStars, YCombinator and Dreamit Ventures operate in the same manner: putting mentoring on the same level as the actual funding. All take young entrepreneurs and connect them with venture capitalists, angel investors, entrepreneurs and advisors.
For startups, there’s no cost to apply or participate in the program, and the sponsors don’t require startups to hand over an equity stake in the companies. “This is not so that startups will get funded by someone in the network,” said Ed Zimmerman, founder of First Growth and chair of the Tech Group at law firm Lowenstein Sandler. “It’s about building mentor relationships vertically and building a network of high-quality entrepreneurs horizontally.”