A non-refundable $200 entry fee is required from all applicants who would like to be considered for participation in the event. All SXSW Accelerator entrants will be given the chance to register to attend SXSW Interactive at the lowest early bird rate, if they are not chosen as an SXSW Accelerator finalist.

Please email Chris Valentine to discuss further. You must contact Chris Valentine prior to applying since we are unable to provide refunds after conference badge purchase.

No refund will be given to any application that has been submitted. If you have any concerns regarding our fees and/or the application process please contact chris@sxsw.com prior to submitting an application. If you wish to register before being notified by SXSW on your status as an applicant to the SXSW Accelerator event you will not be eligible for a refund.

Application fees are accepted online by credit card through the SXSW Shopping Cart. To request payment by check or money order, contact chris@sxsw.com.

If your SXSW Accelerator event entry is NOT accepted, you will receive a special coupon allowing you to register to attend SXSW Interactive at the early-bird rate. Also, if securing a hotel room in the immediate vicinity of the Austin Convention Center is an absolute priority (and you definitely plan on attending the event), then you might consider registering now. Do NOT register if you are not sure that you will be attending the event as SXSW does NOT grant refunds.

Each company will be allowed to submit only one product / services at this year’s event. Companies who submit more than one product / services will not be eligible to participate in the SXSW Accelerator event. Any company that has participated in SXSW Accelerator in previous years will not be considered for the 2012 SXSW Accelerator event. Also, each startup is only eligible to present in one of the SXSW family of pitch events (SXSW Accelerator, SXSW Eco Startup Showcase, SXSW Launchedu). By contrast, if you have applied for other SXSW-produced events (SXSW Eco Startup Showcase, SXSW Launchedu) and were not accepted to participate, then please feel free to apply to SXSW Accelerator.

Yes, participating companies will receive two (2) complimentary registrations for the 2013 SXSW Interactive Festival. Please note that this will not include entry into SXSW Music and/or Film programming. These complimentary registrations must be assigned to specific individuals presenting at the conference.

The application deadline is Friday, November 9, at 11:59pm (CT).

A committee of technology experts will screen each application to make sure that they meet all requirements, and review each entry to decide which products or services are the most innovative.

All applicants will receive an email notification from SXSW upon the selection of your application.

Finalists will be notified no later than Friday, January 18, 2013.

If accepted, each product or service will receive up to two minutes for round one and five minutes for round two (if you are asked to move on to this round), to present their idea to a jury panel of venture capitalist or technology industry experts. Each company will have a microphone and may use a slide presentation (with no additional A/V).

Each participating organization will have only one company representative presenting to the judges and one additional person can be off stage controlling the slide presentation. SXSW will not provide staff to support you with your stage presentation, so each company must have a second company representative to assist with the presentation.

Each judge is an industry expert in venture capitalism or technology market space and will not be the same individual who is involved in the screening process. There will be a minimum of three panelists judging each showcase.

All SXSW Accelerator Finalists will be invited to a private VIP SXSW Accelerator Reception for the SXSW Accelerator Judges, Emcees, Sponsors, Coaches, Scrutinizer and Advisory Board Members. The event will take place on Sunday, March 10th in downtown Austin Texas.

After the participating organizations presentation, each product / service will be evaluated by the judges for 10 minutes. During this time, the judges may ask the participant questions to help them better understand your product / service and address any additional thoughts they may have.

The elevating of each companies application will be based on many factors but the four criteria below are the main elements. Creativity (Originality of Idea) Potential (Longevity, Actualization and Profitability of idea) Functionality (Usability of interface for idea) Team / People (Who is your team and how will they make your company a success?)

We encourage you to include a direct link to a video that could further illuminate your product or service for the judges.

The winner of each of the technology category will be presented his/her award during the event ceremonies.

The winning companies will receive premium prize packages containing valuable tech-related goodies. They will also be given photo and interview opportunities with the attending technology and venture press, placing them in the spotlight as leaders in the future of technology. The winning prizes include two (2) Interactive badges for the 2014 SXSW Interactive event, various SXSW Accelerator sponsor gifts and, most importantly, the opportunity to receive exposure to the SXSW audience looking out for the latest in cutting-edge technology. Additional prizes will be announced as the event date approaches.

SXSW Accelerator event is open to anyone with a SXSW Interactive, Music, Gold and Platinum registrants.

For the SXSW Accelerator during the Interactive Conference, companies must fall within this description:

Innovative Web Technologies

This category pertains to applications and technologies that have the ambition to change the Web as we know it. Right now we’re seeing lots of innovation in real-time search, augmented reality, the World Wide Web, artificial intelligence and the Semantic Web, recommendations technologies, personalization technologies, and “big data”.

Social Technologies

This category pertains to technologies that help people connect. With this category we’re looking for new and interesting uses, cases, as well as technologies that push the boundaries of how we find, follow and share information with others.

Entertainment and Gaming Technologies

This category pertains to applications and technologies for gaming, film, television, and digital storytelling, as well as new and hybrid forms of entertainment that are reinventing the ways in which we relax, unwind, and have fun.

Mobile Technologies

This category pertains to applications and those technologies related to that which allow users to connect by portable devices such as tablets, phones, and other connected devices.

Health Technologies

This category is about patient-centric health applications and technologies that connect patients, families, physicians, pharmacists, care providers (hospitals, clinics) and benefit providers - aka the care team - to share timely, relevant health data and drive better outcomes at affordable and sustainable cost levels.

News Technologies

This category pertains to applications and technologies to support the dissemination of news and information for communities, both on the content side or on the underlying business model side (for example advertising). This could include technologies related to data, text, documents, mapping, engagement, among other areas.

You, the applicant, are solely responsible for protecting your intellectual property rights (patents, trademarks, copyright, trade secrets, etc.) in your idea. If you think you have intellectual property rights or you might want to patent your idea someday, it is strongly recommended that you consult an attorney before disclosing this information in your application.

Applicants are expected to submit a compelling presentation without disclosing critical intellectual property. By submitting an application, you acknowledge that that applying for SXSW Accelerator could result in disclosure of your intellectual property if such information is included in your application.

SXSW is not in a position to protect or advise you on your intellectual property rights and does not take any responsibility for doing so. Additionally, SXSW does not require non-disclosure agreements or other confidentiality obligations from anyone involved in the SXSW Accelerator process.

• A company’s product / service must have launched no earlier than March, 15, 2012.
• A company’s product / service must not be launched after June 15, 2013.
• Companies will be allowed to submit only one product / services to the SXSW Accelerator event.
• Companies who submit more than one product / services will not be eligible to participate in the SXSW Accelerator event.
• Founders of the applying startup must retain some portion of ownership in the company to be eligible to participate.
• Must not have raised over five million in funds from combined funding sources.
• Product or service must fall within one of the Accelerator event categories.