Milwaukee-based startup accelerator and venture fund gener8tor will make its entry into Europe when it launches an accelerator program in Luxembourg next spring.
gener8tor said its connection to the small European country came in part through Mike Ansay, chief executive officer and chairman of Port Washington-based Ansay & Associates, who is also the Honorary Consul to Luxembourg and a dual citizen.
“We are proud to see one of the top accelerators in the United States join Luxembourg’s thriving innovation and entrepreneurship community,” Ansay said.
It further solidifies Milwaukee’s connection to the country, as Mayor Tom Barrett is slated to become the next U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg, pending confirmation.
In an announcement Friday, gener8tor said its new accelerator builds on collaborative programming for startups that was developed with the Ministry of the Economy to support Luxembourgish startups seeking to expand into the United States market. Over the summer, gener8tor ran a three-week program, providing five Luxembourgish startups with coaching and support.
“The gener8tor Luxembourg accelerator reflects the next step in our commitment to join with local partners in supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs and community leaders,” said Joe Kirgues, co-founder of gener8tor. “This program is an important milestone in our deepening relationship with Luxembourg and the startup ecosystem within the country. We are excited to bring together founders, corporate partners, investors and the communities we serve to help accelerate startups on the forefront of innovation, technology and systemic change, diversity, equity, inclusion and sustainability.”
gener8tor will select five startups to go through the inaugural three-month accelerator, which will begin in spring 2022.
Since it was founded in 2012, gener8tor has set up and run 47 annual accelerator programs in 28 cities across the United States. It says its 757 alumni startups have raised more than $700 million in follow-on financing.
The program, which will be based out of Luxembourg, will have a combination of in-person and virtual components, gener8tor said. As with its other accelerators, it will target early-stage startups from various industries and provides support, coaching, capital and connections to build and scale their business.
gener8tor’s accelerator will draw from Luxinnovation, a national innovation agency, and Startup Luxembourg, a public initiative promotes the country’s startup ecosystem.
