Snap Accelerate helps start-ups to use Snapchat for advertising
Snapchat is launching a partners programme to support start-up companies that want to use the platform for their advertising campaigns. The initiative, called Snap Accelerate, is a similar concept to Facebook's FbStart programme, which launched in 2014 and has continued to expand. Snapchat is inviting applications from start-ups that are formulating direct response strategies, such as mobile commerce, app and game developers. Selected partners will get access to a range of services and benefits, including advertising credits, priority support and advertising tools, as well as invitations to private networking events.

Snapchat launched an initiative Tuesday to help fledgling companies kick-start their advertising efforts on the messaging application.

Snap Accelerate is aimed at providing venture capital-backed startups, incubators and accelerator programs with access to benefits and services.

A Snap Inc. spokesperson said the company is open to startups at all stages of their development, adding that the initiative is best-suited for growth-stage mobile startups with digital expertise and performance-based, direct-response marketing strategies. Examples include mobile applications that are still in the process of acquiring users, mobile commerce startups and mobile game developers.

Snapchat is obviously a mobile-exclusive vehicle, and the company said 60 percent of its daily users create Snaps with their cameras on a daily basis, and the average user opens the Snapchat app 18 times per day and spends more than 30 minutes on it.

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