While VCs and US entrepreneurs are talking about Startup Visa and incentivizing skilled workers to startup in US, the pirates at Blueseed incubator are launching a visa-free incubator (expected to be ready by Q3, 2013).
Blueseed is a visa-free incubator that will locate on a vessel anchored 12 miles (30 minutes by ferry) offshore near the coast of Silicon Valley, in international waters outside U.S. jurisdiction.
“When launched, Blueseed will enable countless great ideas and talented individuals to test themselves in the hotbed of Silicon Valley. With our incubator, startups and individuals will also get a chance to establish the connections and capital necessary to move their operations onto land if they so choose.”
What Blueseed will offer
Living accommodations
- Comfortable living quarters accommodating one to four individuals per room
- Catering and food services at cafes and 24-hour venues around the ship
- Recreational facilities including a full service gym, game rooms, and other entertainment venues
- A comfortable and inspiring environment enriched by international experiences and lifestyles
Working accommodations
- Customizable individual or group office space in a variety of size and furnishing configurations
- A professional environment that is conducive to creative, innovative, and stress-free productivity
- Cost-effective, modern, simplified legal and business environment with low overhead
Conveniences of modern life
- Ship-wide high-speed Internet access
- Peace of mind including 24-hour security, concierge, and medical services
- On-board convenience stores and post office
- Convenient access to the SF Bay Area
- Ferry and other access services for onboard foreign national clients or US domestic commuters
Here is a brief QnA with Dan Dascalescu, Blueseed cofounder:
Pluggd.in: What about customer connects ? Meeting customers/sales etc. that would require physical access. How do you plan to handle this?
Dan: Being in close proximity to Silicon Valley is core to our value proposition. We will provide large-capacity ferry services twice or more a day, plus on-demand transportation using smaller ferries and helicopters. We estimate that a complete trip from the Blueseed vessel to Silicon Valley or San Francisco will take around 90 minutes, comparable to a daily commute in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pluggd.in: Equity stake that you’d typically look at?
Dan: Our goal with regards to the environment onboard is that being located on Blueseed will be a major reputation advantage for a startup, equivalent with having an investment from YCombinator. With that in mind, we’ll offer a range of balances between equity stakes and rent for the living and work space onboard. For example, a startup with little cash on hand may choose to pay discounted rent and give 5% equity, while a well-funded startup may wish to choose to pay full rent and contribute 1% equity. By taking an equity in the startups located onboard, we align our success with their success.
Pluggd.in: Categories of businesses Blueseed is specifically interested in?
Dan: Blueseed welcomes all talented individuals and companies, regardless of nationality, who could contribute positively to our culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and fruitful collaboration. We think that our most interested customers will be startups that can function well in the environment of a large vessel. Ventures such as mobile/social/local, consumer Internet and IT&C in general are likely to find Blueseed a conducive environment to their growth.
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What’s your take on Blueseed concept? All we know is that a vessel-like environment can certainly lead to blue oceans!
If you have questions for the team, do ask them here. Aside, do read FAQs and take this survey if you are interested in knowing more about Blueseed.
