Startup Accelerator MuckerLab Calls for Fall Semester Applications; Announces Partnership with Mozilla Offering Joint Program To Help Give Entrepreneurs A Kick-Start For New Ventures

LOS ANGELES, June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MuckerLab, a privately funded startup accelerator focused on incubation-stage Internet software, services and media ventures in the Los Angeles market, announced this week that it is currently accepting applications for its upcoming 2012 fall semester. Following a successful winter semester, the startup accelerator recently hosted its first inaugural, invitation-only Demo Day last April, in which start-up companies, including Instacanvas, Laffster, LifeCrowd, Penango, SurfAir, Retention Science, OttoLikesLab and Wallaby Financial, officially presented themselves to more than 200 potential investors.

MuckerLab also recently announced that it's teaming up with Mozilla's WebFWD to create a joint acceleration program. By combining the resources of Mozilla and MuckerLab, the companies plan to offer open source entrepreneurs a chance to create new venture in-residence at the MuckerLab offices in Los Angeles. WebFWD is Mozilla's Open Innovation program designed to transform open source projects into business.

The new MuckerLab-WebFWD joint acceleration program will provide teams with up to six months (including three months at MuckerLab) of mentorship from industry experts in the open source community, as well as the broader technology ecosystem, access to the Mozilla global network, infrastructure and other world-class resources.

MuckerLab will continue its commitment to working hands-on with accelerator companies to provide day-to-day guidance and resources to help make these companies successful. According to MuckerLab Co-Founder William Hsu, the new joint program with Mozilla's WebFWD creates yet one more unique avenue of support and exposure.

Pascal Finette, Director of Mozilla's WebFWD acceleration program, said: "The new MuckerLab-Mozilla partnership will allow open source entrepreneurs, especially those based in Los Angeles, to receive a great jump start to their venture via resources and expertise," Finette said. "The joint program will help provide a global platform to enhance entrepreneurs' reach through both the Mozilla brand and the MuckerLab network."

In an effort to boost the growth of L.A.'s overall technology ecosystem, MuckerLab provides seed funding to entrepreneurs, offering them a three-month structured program that gives them access to a network of mentors and advisors who can help them build, launch and grow their businesses.

"Perhaps not commonly known, Los Angeles has had a long-standing reputation as a hub for science- and deep technology-based innovations due to our proximity to some of the world's best research universities, as well as our history in supporting the defense and space industry," Hsu said. "Through the MuckerLab-WebFWD joint acceleration program, we hope to continue that legacy by helping the open source community in L.A. commercialize technology and build industry-defining businesses."

Founded in October 2011, privately funded MuckerLab recruits Internet software, services, and media entrepreneurs through an open, but selective, application process, similar to the models employed by Y-Combinator and TechStars. MuckerLab's 12-week program provides early-stage startups with up to $21K in funding, office space, access to world-class mentors, and hands-on product, and marketing, legal and fundraising support. At the end of the program, companies present their businesses to potential investors at a Demo Day event.

The new WebFWD-MuckerLab joint acceleration program provides teams with up to six months of interactive skill building. The program seeks:

• Projects and start-up companies which extend the Web and its "openness";
• Technologies that are oriented towards the social and mobile Web (as opposed to desktop and OS paradigms);
• Prototypes with working code and working minimum viable products;
• Teams comprised of deeply committed technologists who are determined to building a business, an innovative product and sustained social good.

For more information about how to apply for MuckerLab's upcoming fall semester, visit http://apply.muckerlab.com/. To apply for Mozilla WebFWD program, visit https://webfwd.org/apply/.

About MuckerLab
MuckerLab is a privately funded startup accelerator focused on incubation-stage Internet software, services and media ventures in the Los Angeles market. Based on a mentorship-driven model, MuckerLab provides entrepreneurs with funding, puts them through a structured, three-month-long program and gives them access to a deep network of top-tier mentors and advisors. MuckerLab works side-by-side with Southern California's best technology entrepreneurs to enable them to build, launch, and finance their exceptional businesses, while helping to cultivate a more vibrant technology ecosystem in Los Angeles. For more information, go to http://www.muckerlab.com.

About Mozilla WebFWD
WebFWD (http://webfwd.org) is Mozilla's program to support open source entrepreneurs hoping to transform closed markets and create new ones, focusing on mobile first. It consists of a three-month business creation program for startups around the world including weekly training sessions & exercises, office hours with industry experts, ongoing coaching and guidance from the world's best technologists. Upon graduating, teams can qualify for follow-on funding from Mozilla.

SOURCE MuckerLab