What we do

Once you are in the program, you get:

• 1)   A space to work on your business
• 2)   Entrepreneurship training/workshops
• 3)   Mentors to guide through the process
• 4)   Networking sessions
• 5)   Legal guidance
• 6)   Help with the corporate documents and account set up
• 7)   Web space
• 8)   Online business tools
• 9)   Events that boost your process
• 10) Final pitch and
• 11) Possibly more!

What happens at i_cuba_tor (doesn't stay at i_Cuba_tor)

We have mentors with in depth business and domain expertise, who will work with you on your plans and help refine your model. We'll help you establish industry connections. You may always have wanted to work for them, now you’ll be working with them. We help from concept to the development to marketing; the most difficult stages that take a lot of labor of love, blood and sweat to launch. We organize mics for you to network, match notes, find team members and partners, and exchange ideas with start ups. We’ve built this wonderful ecosystem for you to thrive in and the industry people to benefit from. Experts and successful startups speak at mic to offer their insight.

The Core

Stakeholders are who we really care about. Understanding of the stakeholders, how to engage (with) them, and bring a solution to them is a key indicator of your ability. If you plan to work for the construction industry and have never been involved in any of the aspects of it, your idea may lose much of its strength.

Similarly, having never rode a taxi, you can never understand or describe the experiences of a rider and hence it is far fetched that you’ll develop solutions for them!.

We understand that, as an idea is built upon, the plan evolves and it should, however, we expect you to have short and long term goals for the company you plan to build. When you come to us, know still that these will transform and be modified going further.

Women Empowerment is a core value and we want all involved to contribute, by including at least a woman in their team. This is pretty much a must!

We also greatly value artisanship. Arts and crafts strengthen the fabric of a society; a cobler, a weaver, a knitter, a sewer, a designer, a cleaner, a painter, a music maker, all these add tremendous value to our economy, living, society and humanity!

Evaluation

We accept teams, (but if you don't have a team yet, and feel that your idea is brilliant, we will help you form one).

An ideal company has at least 3 members working with different strengths. After the initial screening, we will have a one to one session with you. We will test your metal and your claims. The interview will be grueling and hard.

You get through with chance of a lifetime to bring your ideas to life with the help of the smartest people around.

It is a gross misconception that a startup has to be unique, a technological miracle, or never heard of. Any idea that solves a problem and makes money while doing that is a startup.

We don't care if your startup has any technological side, if you can make a process better, faster, efficient, cheaper, any or all of these, (which is as romantic as we want to get when talking about startups), we will accept you on the merits you set out for yourself.

This program is open to everyone, and even though most ideas come from the 19-35 age bracket, we are not looking to help any specific age group. We encourage and give points to teams that have artisans and other specialized professionals as part of their teams or are looking for such professionals, provided they are related to the problem you intend to solve. For example, if you are looking to bring disruption in the plumbing industry but the professional you have on your team is a great potter who apparently does not seem to know anything about the plumbing industry, we would expect you to be ready to justify and explain.

Process

1. 1)  Select your team and fill out the application form.
2. 2)  We will invite you for an interview, should you get selected.
3. 3)  Based on your interview, be ready to join at any time and place as instructed.
4. 4)  Qualifying for an interview does not guarantee a spot in the i_cuba_tor.
5. 5)  If all of the founders in your company cannot join the program, we use our discretion to reassign or lapse it.
6. 6)  Mentors and trainers have individual and team sessions throughout the incubation process.
7. 7)  Our resources are our investment in your company, and since we are investing in the company, we will bring the best for you to succeed.
8. 8)  Even though we will have a certain share in your company,other than guiding you in the capacity we agree on at the beginning of your induction, we will not interfere in your process unless you want us to. You will get to decide which direction your company goes into.
9. 9)  During the process if we see that you are doing better than we expected, we will raise our investment to further resources and/or cash as needed.
10. 10)  Since it's your company, you can look for investment from elsewhere as well.
11. 11)  We make the process simple and transparent so there’s no confusion. A complete and thorough disclosure by all parties is of utmost importance.
12. 12)  This is a seed stage program and, as in any VC company, the resources we offer are valued and translated as a small equity in your startup.
13. 13)  The sooner and the more actively you get involved, the more it shows how involved you are with your idea, and how dedicated you are to make it succeed.
14. 14)  Contact us at icube@digital.edu for any queries during or before the process, and you will find someone at our end ready to help.
15. 15)  You don't have a team but a practical idea, contact icube@digital.edu
16. 16)  We help you set up a team.
17. 17)  Getting together with the team and bringing them up to speed will take time.
18. 18)  Once your team is ready, follow the same procedure ;)