Facebook have launched a new 12-week non-equity program, Facebook Accelerator: Commerce which will support innovative commerce startups who renew shopping experiences for buyers and sellers.
Facebook claim that their focus on community and the startup ecosystem through its programs that connect, educate, and empower people will help solve relevant, meaningful problems.
“In this critical time, Facebook is doubling down on commerce and accelerating its work to enable every business to sell online and help people gain inspiration, discover and buy the products they love. Our commerce vision is one unified shopping experience across all Facebook apps. We can’t achieve this alone, so we are looking for startups to build technology with us.”
Hello, is it me you’re looking for?:
Facebook are looking for commerce startups who are creative engineers, creating solutions, and solving problems. Below is a list of solutions and startups Facebook say they are looking for.
Solutions:
- Technology that makes it quick and easy for companies to upload and manage inventory online
- Solutions that enrich product catalog functionality and intelligence
- Shopping experiences that help buyers in their consideration phase to make more informed purchasing decisions
- New and interesting solutions that drive innovation and enhanced shopping experiences
Startups:
- Headquartered in Europe, Middle East or Africa
- B2B or B2B2C startups with Seed to Series A maturity
- Evidence of significant progress in business growth and revenue
- Product that is focused on driving value for customers
- Groundbreaking technology or research
- Diverse and focused leadership team that is hungry to learn from and collaborate with Facebook
What are Facebook offering candidates?
Apparently the successful applicants will receive dedicated Facebook mentorship and guidance; In-depth commerce training, and workshops; a family of Facebook products and tech; and a network of experts and founders.
Facebook Accelerator: Commerce Key dates:
- Applications (3 – 31 August 2020, 11:59:59pm BST) – You can apply from now until the end of the month. Applications will be evaluated on an ongoing basis.
- Program goal setting (September – October 2020) – This will take part with the succesful applicants.
- Program dates (October 2020 – February 2021) – The 12 week program will commence during this period.