On the 13th July 2010, we are opening the doors to give you a unique opportunity to see what it is really like inside the machine that is the Difference Engine. For this night only it will be Access All Areas with presentations from both the mentors and the teams, followed by a Question Time style panel, hosted by Paul Smith, where you can ask all your burning questions:

Mentors - Sam Morton (21st Century Media), Declan Metcalfe (Better Brand Agency), and Mike Parker (Orange Bus).

Teams - Paul Rawlings (ScreenReach), Ross Linnett (Recite), Jonathan Shrago (Tagorize)

If you are a potential applicant, thinking about becoming a mentor, or just generally interested to find out what the Difference Engine really is and how it is valuable to the region, then this is the perfect event for you.

There will be refreshments and nibbles on arrival and following the presentations, where you can meet and chat to all those involved in the Difference Engine programme.

This event is brought to you by Sailor Girl ltd, for more information, please contact us here.

The Difference Engine is the brainchild of Jon Bradford, CEO of Difference Engine and ex-investment manager for North East Finance. It is a full time, 13-week seed accelerator programme, which combines investment capital of £20,000 (for 8% of the business) with intensive mentoring and coaching (rumour has it that the teams worked up to 16-hour days). At the conclusion of the programme the businesses were expected to be investor ready, and had to present their businesses and products to a group of venture capitalists and angel investors at 2 demo days, one in Newcastle and one in London.

The first programme commenced in March 2010 and ran from Boho One located in Middleborough with 9 teams from across the UK and Europe. The second programme will start in September 2010 and will be based from Sunderland Software City. The closing date for applications is 23rd July.