Citrix Systems has announced the Global Challenge 2011, an opportunity for entrepreneurs around the world to compete for up to $400K from the Citrix Startup Accelerator, the company’s global seed investment initiative.  The Citrix Startup Accelerator Global Challenge 2011 is focused on finding startups that align with the Citrix vision of a world where anyone can work and play from anywhere on any device.  Six winners from key technology regions around the world – Bangalore; Boston; Cambridge, UK; Silicon Valley and Sydney – will be chosen for up to $400K each in seed funding and offered all the benefits that Citrix Startup Accelerator provides, including mentoring, office space in Silicon Valley and access to the global Citrix ecosystem.

Key Facts and Highlights

• Applications accepted: April 20- May 13 at the Citrix Startup Accelerator Global Challenge 2011 page
• Screening process via Citrix GoToMeeting™ technology:  May 14 -June 10
• Final presentations and mentoring sessions at regional Citrix offices:  June 10-30
• Bangalore, India
• Boston
• Cambridge, UK
• Silicon Valley
• Sydney, Australia
• Up to six overall winners, funded up to $400k each, will be announced in July

Focused on entrepreneur-led innovation, the Citrix Startup Accelerator looks for new technologies and business models that have the potential to enable new capabilities in areas such as virtualization, cloud, mobility, networking, security, storage, collaboration and SaaS.  The initiative not only provides seed investments to select start-ups, but enables them to benefit from the global presence Citrix has established, its entrepreneur-friendly environment, large customer base and seasoned go-to-market strategies.  Primadesk became the first program participant when The Citrix Startup Accelerator announced its first investment in February.