Developer relations, abbreviated as DevRel, is an umbrella term for practices employed by an organization that builds developer-facing software to connect with the developers that use that software. Developer relations is a form of platform evangelism and the activities involved are sometimes referred to as a developer program or a DevRel program. DevRel programs often include the following: [...] • Developer marketing: Outreach and engagement activities to create awareness and encourage developers to use a product. • Developer education: Product documentation and resources such as videos to aid learning a product. • Developer experience: Often referred to as "zeroth customer" and "friction logging", devrel programs include using the product directly, finding problems, and improving the developer experience. [...] • Developer success: Activities to nurture and retain developers as they build and scale with a product. • Community: Events, forums, and social groups around the product. [...] following decades many companies formed DevRel programs. In the 2010s companies like New Relic, Twilio, EngineYard, and SendGrid branded DevRel programs as a " Developer-First approach". [...] DevRel theoretically intersects engineering, marketing, product management, and community management. [...] • Developer Advocates (aka Developer Evangelists): Focus [...] evangelizing) [...] , building webinars, hosting [...] issues with the product [...] software developers' [...] advocacy of tools [...] , and platforms. [...] solving real-world problems by [...] solutions to help developers improve their workflows and increase development efficiency. [...] also facilitate developer advocacy [...] empowering and evangelizing developers [...] champion a target product [...] Organizations which practice DevRel may be Developer-first or Developer-plus (aka Dev +) depending on their primary business model. Developer-First companies (e.g., Stripe, Camunda, PerceptiLabs, Unity, and Twilio) have a business-to-developer model (B2D) focused on selling products specifically designed to be used by developers. Developer-Plus companies (e.g., Slack, Spotify, Apple, Qualcomm, and Santander) tend to be business-to-business(B2B) or business-to-consumer(B2C). While the primary focus of Developer-Plus companies is to create and sell products for businesses or consumers, they also make products or services available to developers which benefit or enhance their strategy including: opening new market channels, creating new use cases, contributing to innovation strategies, or optimizing/enhancing existing products. [...] In 2021, a survey showed that 63.6% of organizations with DevRel programs were Developer-Plus, [...] 36.4% were Developer-First. [...] Regardless of Developer- [...] or Developer-First, companies are recognizing the growing power developers have in influencing purchasing decisions. This includes new companies focused on making tools for developers, and existing companies whose primary focus was elsewhere, which are now recognizing the developer opportunity. Thus, business leaders are now involved in starting new DevRel programs at their companies or increasing the impact of their existing programs. [...] Twilio, is an example of a Developer-First company, and more specifically an API-first company, that helped to shape the API economy (business models and practices designed around APIs), popularize DevRel programs, and became known for platform evangelism. Notably, their three-word billboard in Silicon Valley that simply said: "Ask Your Developer", followed by the Twilio logo, is credited with having started conversations between executives and developers in strategic decision making. [...] companies practicing DevRel globally were [...] North America (Canada and the US – 61.5%) and Europe (Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the UK – 2 [...] %). Other countries/regions include Australia/New Zealand, China, India, and the

Building the future of AI with AWS Trainium

The first accelerator that combines market access with founder resilience — helping international startups land, validate, and expand in Finland and Europe. [...] Apply for the Autumn 2026 Batch [...] The Northern Light accelerator delivers hands-on support to validate your product with real customers, navigate sales in local and EU markets, and secure traction alongside revenue. We also prioritise founder resilience to keep your team focused and execution-ready [...] faster market entry, [...] Startups – spring 2026 [...] The second cohort brings together founders from Brazil, Japan, Argentina, Australia, India, the UK, Singapore, Cameroon, South Africa, Turkey, Ireland, and Iran. Meet the inspiring startups of the spring 2026 batch! [...] Our 3-month accelerator program is designed for non-Finnish founders or teams ready to build in Europe, starting from Helsinki. We provide a physical base at Maria 01, enabling you to join our vibrant community. [...] There is a participation fee for the Northern Light Accelerator of €2,000 (incl. VAT) per startup (up to two founders). This includes not only the full program, its activities, and support package valued at €120,000, but also a dedicated desk space at Maria 01 for three months with full access to all campus services and facilities, as well as a startup ticket to Slush 2026 for the Autumn Batch – all delivered equity-free. [...] Current program and application period [...] The third batch of our program will take place in Autumn 2026, starting on August 21st and finishing on November 20th. The application period is open from the 16th of April until June 6, 2026. Please note, that we review applications continuously and the spots are limited, that is why we encourage you to apply early. We expect to make all decisions on successful applicants by early the end of June 2026, to allow all the accepted participants enough time to prepare for their travel to Helsinki. [...] APPLY – Application period opens [...] Northern Light is for early-stage international startups looking to enter the European market through Finland. You should have a company registered in some country. Additionally, you should also have at least an MVP or early traction and be committed to scaling your business in Europe. You can also apply if you are already in Finland and have at least one non-Finnish co-founder or team member. [...] 11. When can I apply for the program? [...] We run two accelerator programs each year, each with a dedicated application period. Check this website for the current application dates. If no application period is open at the moment, you can sign up for our mailing list below to stay informed about when the next application window opens. [...] Startups – autumn 2025 [...] The first-ever program brought together founders from India, the Philippines, Norway, the USA, Ireland, Kenya, Spain and Finland. Meet the inspiring startups of the autumn 2025 batch! [...] Apply for Autumn 2026 Batch.