Report from Silicon Valley. Blackbox - American startup accelerator focused on non-American startups

Encouraged by your feedback to my previous posts: “Hacker Dojo Tour” and “Video Interview with Max Skibinsky” , I decided to post another report from Silicon Valley. This time we visited the startup accelerator Blackbox , which is focused on foreign startups, incl. and from Russia, helping them to enter the global market. In particular, at one of the Blackbox events, the Russian founders of Virool met each other, and later they successfully passed through YCombinator - a top-end startup accelerator. Under the cut more information and interviews with the founder.

Externally, the Blackbox is a mansion, also called Startup Mansion (startup mansion), with 5 bedrooms, two halls, a dining room, a hall, and a jacuzzi. They say that Blackbox is the first accelerator of this format, where start-up founders live and work, communicate with other startups, study (lectures, seminars) and interact (networking) with successful entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and potential partners.

Blackbox Connect is an intensive two-week course (held every 2 months) in Silicon Valley for startup founders from abroad, during which they live in a startup mansion, actively attend trainings and meet with successful entrepreneurs, investors, and experts. Requirements for startups for this program: should be based outside the US, have a finished product with feedback from clients, and, ideally, also have some investment and service that can work globally.

Blackbox Accelerate is an accelerator directly, which includes a free Blacbox Connect course, a presentation to Silicon Valley lead investors, mentoring help, intensive networking, over $ 50,000 in various services, long-term accommodation, and a free workplace in a start-up mansion. From a conversation with the founder of Blacbox, I found out that for startups applying to the accelerator, the basic requirements are the following: the ability to start and scale a business globally, the availability of a finished product with feedback from clients. In the future, you will need to register a company (incorporated) in the United States.
')
In general, Blackbox is a launching pad for startups from abroad, a community and meeting place for startups, investors, partners, intensive networking, a startup accelerator and just a base in Silicon Valley for living and working (co-working).

Below is an interview with the founder of Blackbox, though in English, but there is more or less clear, plus I laid out the questions I asked him.

FADI, TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO WORK WITH STARTUPS FROM OUTSIDE THE US?
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF INTERNATIONAL STARTUPS?
DO YOU PREFER FOREIGN ENTREPRENEURS TO FOCUS ON THE MARKETS IN THE US?
HOW MANY STARTUPS DO YOU HAVE DURING THE SEASON? WHAT ARE THE TOP COUNTRIES?
WHAT'S YOUR SELECTION CRITERIA? ON WHAT DO YOU LOOK THE MOST?
IS IT NECESSARY FOR APPLICANTS TO BE WORKING BUSINESSES WITH CLIENTS?
TELL US ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SITUATION WITH WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN THE US AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
IS IT MUCH HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS IN THE US THAN IN OTHER COUNTRIES?
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO INSPIRE YOUNG WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS?

Thank you for your attention and for the positive feedback. Subscribe to the channel to follow the video updates (reports and interviews). If someone wants to help with the translation or decoding - it would be great. I have this, unfortunately, just do not have time.

Other posts:
Report from Silicon Valley. Hacker Dojo Tour - Free Coworking Center
Video interview from Silicon Valley. Max Skibinsky - serial entrepreneur, business angel and incubator mentor 500 Startups