Dell offers residency at HQ for startup competition winner

Dell is launching a competition to search for their next ‘Startup-in-Residence’.

Computer giant Dell has begun the search for an innovative early stage startup to take up residency at its UK headquarters as part of its latest Startup-in-Residence initiative.

Startups will be invited to make the most of one year’s worth of free office space and access to technology solutions, as well as gaining the mentorship of experienced professionals and networking opportunities.

There’s already one resident startup (Fantoo) with a two-year stint at Dell, and another will be coming to the end of its 12-month tenure at the end of the year.

“As a company founded by an entrepreneur, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit and supporting new businesses is deeply ingrained in our corporate culture,” said Tim Griffin, vice president and managing director of Dell UK.

“Working with our two current resident startups iNovar and Fantoo over the past year has been an incredible experience – there is so much big and small businesses can learn from each other,” he added.

The programme is a two-way process, where both sides gain a great deal from working with one another. Dell gains the vision of entrepreneurs with a multitude of fresh ideas, and startups gain access to resources that many early-stage companies can’t even consider.

"Becoming a resident startup at Dell opened more doors than we could have imagined. Being able to save thousands of pounds on rent and computing, and getting access to resources often closed to early-stage companies, has allowed us to channel more into innovation and growth," said Jordan Fantaay, founder of Fantoo.

British startups have until the end of March to apply, and finalists will give a short live pitch at Dell House in Bracknell.