Applications for Bootup Labs January 2010 Cohort now open

Yes, we know things have been quiet here at Bootup HQ (besides Danny’s great posts and our always active Twitter account). This year has been a busy one, working with our portfolio companies that are part of our beta fund.

Now we’re ready to go into full operation. And that means we want YOU! (insert picture of Uncle Sam pointing at entrepreneurs in the audience).

Our January 2010 cohort application is now open »

What are we looking for? Well, our four “big bucket” categories are consumer Internet, mobile, gaming, and enterprise Internet. We want to work with digital media startup teams that want to hunker down and spend 8 months growing their business, either getting ready for further investment or growing their “cash engine” to a profitable state.

Yes, this is similar to Y Combinator or TechStars. The TechStars model is the one we’re most inspired by, although we’ve put our own unique twist on it. We believe, like they do, in a mentor model, and that being in the same physical space is important.

Oh, and in case I’m not being clear, you absolutely should apply to any other accelerator programs you can get your hands on. I actually think that for first time entrepreneurs, the question is no longer whether or not to take part in a startup accelerator, but rather, which one to join.

We’ve already gotten a handful of applications from across Canada and around the world. In the US, it’s a little bit harder to get into the country as an entrepreneur (see Startup Visa for what some people are trying to do to fix that), but we’d love to hear from teams wherever you’re based.

Head on over to the application page to get started. The relevant dates for the January intake are as follows:

• Application deadline: November 6
• Interviews with select applicants: November 9 through November 20
• Offers made to selected companies: November 30 to December 4th
• Program begins: mid-January, 2010
• Program ends: end of September 2010

Our about page has the extended remix version of our program details, we’ll keep updating the FAQ based on questions we get, and our contact page is open if you need anything else.