IN AVIATION
the run-up is the final procedure performed
before being cleared for takeoff. The run-up involves temporarily advancing the throttles to ensure that engines are capable of producing take-off thrust. Just like pilots, entrepreneurs need a lot of moving parts to work together to achieve flight. RunUp Labs gives startups critical support in testing their machines and paving the runway necessary for a successful launch.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW WHO IS IT FOR? RunUp Labs is specifically designed for startups who aim to change the way we travel. We’re looking for the most innovative ideas in and around travel, not just for flights and hotels, but anything that will truly change the way people move from place to place and spend their time away from home. WHAT DO ENTREPRENEURS GET? Ten weeks of intense mentorship from experts in travel, product development, design, finance, and marketing. We’ll also give each team a small cash investment. At the end of the program, we’ll give you an audience with a room full of investors actively looking to invest in travel-related technology. WHEN WILL THE PROGRAM TAKE PLACE? The ten week program will run from March 4th through May 10th 2013. WHERE? At SproutBox in Bloomington, IN. WHO’S BEHIND RUNUP LABS? SproutBox, Cornerstone Information Systems, and a broad group of travel industry experts. WHO IS SPROUTBOX? We represent a new approach to venture capital that is about more than just writing checks. We are a team of coders, marketers and business experts that work with entrepreneurs fulltime in exchange for equity. Each year, SproutBox gives four hand-picked startups the team, tools, and resources needed to turn their early stage ideas into a revenue-generating reality. WHO IS CORNERSTONE INFORMATION SYSTEMS? Cornerstone provides more than 400 worldwide clients with technology and services that enable them to apply automation to the travel booking and reporting processes. Their goal is to help agency customers increase profit per booking and assist corporate clients in meeting their travel program objectives. From the creation through the execution and analysis of a travel reservation, companies such as American Express, Expedia, Morgan Stanley and Coca-Cola rely on Cornerstone to help them proactively manage information and lower the cost of travel management.