Rackspace and TechStars Team to Strengthen Cloud Startup Community

Cloud computing provider Rackspace has teamed with startup accelerator TechStars to help launch TechStars Cloud, a cloud-focused business incubator based in San Antonio. The entity has issued a call for applications for the first round of startups, which is now open until November 2, 2011.

Selected startup applicants from around the country will live in San Antonio from January to April 2012, receiving free office space at the Weston Center, where Rackspace originally launched. Other perks include Rackspace hosting and access to the TechStars mentor and alumni network, including many Rackspace executives. The goal is to bolster the local startup community in San Antonio.

The website of the San Antonio Business Journal cited Jason Seats, head of TechStars Cloud, on the significance of the effort not only for the region, but for the further expansion of OpenStack:

“We are particularly interested in companies building on or extending OpenStack, OpenFlow, OpenCompute, as well as those building security applications, hosting services, datacenter automation, big data tools and dev ops. We have big expectations for the results we’ll see when we connect early stage cloud startups to the best cloud mentors and companies.”

Interested parties should visit the TechStars link by Oct. 21 to receive priority consideration. The final application deadline is Nov. 2.