Techstars hires Lars Perkins to lead Portland accelerator

The Roux Institute Techstars Accelerator has named Lars Perkins, a veteran tech founder and software executive, as its first managing director.

Perkins, who has been involved in tech since building his first enterprise software company and taking it public in the 1990s, most recently served as chief data officer for community.com, according to his LinkedIn profile. He has also served as founding partner and managing director of Idealab’s Boston incubator, where he started Picasa, later selling it to Google and joining Google as a Director of Engineering and then Director of Product, according to a bio provided by Techstars.

Techstars and The Roux Institute at Northeastern University in February announced the creation of a global startup accelerator program to be based in Portland. The accelerator will focus on attracting startups from all over the world in spaces like artificial intelligence, health and life sciences, and data and analytics.

Perkins was not available to answer questions this morning, but in a Q&A published today on Techstars’ website, Perkins called Portland “a city on the cusp of greatness.”

“Only two hours away from Boston, it’s got a great waterfront vibe, miles of beautiful shoreline and an excellent quality of life,” he said. “The investment that the Roux Institute at Northeastern University and the Harold Alfond Foundation are making will be transformative to the city and will position it as a major east coast hub of innovation.”

Chris Wolfel, the Roux Institute’s director of entrepreneurship, said he is thrilled that Perkins has joined the accelerator as its inaugural managing director.

“Having started, grown, and invested in multiple companies across his career, Lars will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to help the founders accepted into the program,” Wolfel said. “After working and living in many tech hubs around the country his commitment to growing the Maine startup ecosystem is another example of incredibly talented individuals who are excited about the possibilities in Portland and across the great state of Maine.”

Maine Startups Insider has reached out to Perkins with additional questions about his background, familiarity with the Maine ecosystem, and his vision for the accelerator. This article will be updated when Perkins responds.

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