Alchemist Accelerator is getting into the space race.
The Palo Alto company is teaming up with Amazon.com's Amazon Web Services division to help run the latter's Space Accelerator program. Launched last year by AWS, the four-week remote program is designed to help give a boost to companies working on space-related technologies that plan to use Amazon's cloud computing service.
For last year's version, AWS teamed up with Seraphim Capital, which focuses on space-technology startups. AWS chose to partner this year with Alchemist, which also goes by the name AlchemistX, because of its experience with running customized accelerator programs, said Clint Crosier, director of AWS's aerospace and satellite division.
"AlchemistX will lend their expertise in venture capital, global market expertise and startup acceleration," he said.
Representatives of Alchemist Accelerator did not respond to a request for comment.
The partners plan to select 10 startups for this year's program, which will run from June 6 to July 1. Spots are open to companies from around the world. Alchemist and AWS began accepting applications Thursday; the deadline to apply is April 15.
The program will offer networking opportunities for startup founders, bring in industry leaders as speakers and provide coaching and industry-specific classes. Participants in the program will also receive up to $100,000 worth of AWS credits, which they can use to pay for its cloud computing services.
Last year's program attracted 190 applications from 44 countries, Crosier said. Of the 10 companies that participated in the accelerator last year, two were from the Bay Area: LeoLabs Inc., a provider of low-Earth-orbit mapping services that's based in Menlo Park; and Orbital Sidekick Inc., a San Francisco provider of space- and sky-based image sensors that can be used for environmental and other monitoring.
