About the program
IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator ‘22 is an investment-readiness and technical mentorship program, run in partnership with Village Capital.
The program supports impact-focused startups leveraging highly sensitive data to improve the quality of, and access to, digital, financial and healthcare services.
Learn about past Hyper Protect cohorts in 2020 and 2021. You may also register here for the IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator Community for more information and easy answers to your questions.
Apply to Friends of Hyper Protect
Applications for Friends of Hyper Protect (FoHP) are still open! We’ve closed applications for Cohort 5 this year. However, applications for the Friends of Hyper Protect Cohort are open throughout the year. Read more about our “lighter touch” FoHP program below.
Cohort 5: 15 startups will join a three-month investment readiness accelerator from Village Capital alongside two years of monthly technical mentorship and support from IBM. You will spend 40+ hours meeting and conversing with a diverse group of founders as well as expert investors and mentors
Friends of Hyper Protect II: 30 startups will join this asynchronous accelerator from Village Capital alongside two years of quarterly technical mentorship and support from IBM. You will enjoy bespoke mentor and investor support and also meet and learn from founders from every part of the world.
All startups, in both cohorts, will receive IBM Cloud credits of up to $120,000.
Meet Cohort 5
Meet the Friends of Hyper Protect - Class 2
Advisory Board Members
Eligibility
We are seeking startups from North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, MENA, and Asia that:
• Are legally incorporated as a for-profit entity
• Use personally identifiable information to increase access to digital, financial, or healthcare services.
• Under $15 million in revenue
• Less than 10 years old
• Have some traction (this is not limited to revenue, but can include successful pilot studies, number of users, and/or strategic partnerships)
• Have positive social impact
Problem Statement
The amount of data that is being collected, analyzed, and stored by different organizations is growing at an exponential rate. In the last 10 years, the volume of data created, captured, and consumed worldwide grew by a staggering 3850%. This raises concerns for individual and business users on data protection, data privacy, security, and regulatory compliance. For example, to what extent do individuals have ownership over their data.
Businesses handling users’ data must act as data custodians (not owners) that maintain privacy, where client data is protected and data ownership is the sole right of users. Without secure data ownership, users not only lose potential benefits from their data to businesses, it also restricts their ability to access better and more inclusive services.
Over the past three years, the IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator worked with startups that utilize sensitive data and Personally Identifiable Information (PII), to create, improve, and increase users’ access to financial, healthcare, and other services. Solutions include unified APIs to foster financial inclusion in Africa, OpenAPIs to democratize access to affordable insurance in Latin America, and other digital solutions that touch on the intersection of technology, data, and impact.
IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator ‘22 is an investment-readiness and technical mentorship program, run in partnership with Village Capital. The program supports impact-focused startups leveraging highly sensitive data to improve the quality, and access to digital, financial and healthcare services. Learn about past Hyper Protect cohorts in 2020 and 2021.
Benefits startups will receive:
Connections
Build deep connections with other founders in your cohort and our larger Village Capital investor and alumni network.
Mentorship
2 years of technical mentorship, where companies get access to IBM’s network of subject matter experts, partners, technicians, go-to-market support, co-marketing and branding.
Training
Join interactive sessions tailored to help your company identify early milestones and prepare for your next round of capital.
Advice
Work with an investment analyst who will coach you 1:1 on building a financial model, identifying unit economics, and using financial metrics.
Exposure
Get featured on Village Capital’s program website and other collateral.
IBM Cloud Credits
Access to up to $120,000 in IBM Cloud credits, up to $10,000 per month for one year.
Program Timeline
Applications Open
April 5
Applications Close
June 15
Advisory Board Reviews
May - June
Applications will be reviewed for both Cohort 5 and Friends of Hyper Protect.
Cohort Confirmed
September 15
Selected companies will be notified.
Orientation Workshop
Late September
Cohort companies will participate in a virtual orientation.
Accelerator (Cohort 5 + FoH II)
October - December
Accelerator programming will take place virtually.
Latest News
Road to 100: IBM Hyper Protect Accelerator
The amount of data that is being collected, analyzed, and stored by different organizations is growing at an exponential rate. In the last 10 years, the volume of data created, captured, and consumed worldwide grew by a staggering 3850%. This raises concerns for individual and business users on data protection, privacy, security, and regulatory compliance.
A Perspective on Data Protection, Privacy, and Security
Data is at the heart of making healthcare more affordable and accessible. Protecting this data and enabling sharing of the right data, with the right people, at the right time is crucial.
Culturally, I grew up sharing best wishes of health, wealth and happiness. These three things are not always inherently bound.
In Their Rush to Win Customers and Reduce Financial Exclusion, Are Banks and Fintechs Unwittingly Creating Even Greater Inequality?
In emerging markets such as Mexico, the prevailing narrative in the retail banking and fintech sectors is that the slew of new debit and credit card services launched in recent years, by both incumbent banks and startup fintechs,
Learn more about mentoring with Village Capital