Techstars' retail accelerator at Target already received hundreds of applications

There's still another five months to go before the deadline for Techstars' first retail accelerator at Target Corp.

But hundreds of startups from around the globe have already applied, according to Ryan Broshar, a major player in the Twin Cities startup scene who has been named managing director of the Techstars program in Minneapolis.

That's an impressive number, especially since it just officially put out the call for applications last week. Of course, Techstars' 13-week bootcamps for startups around the world usually receive hundreds of applications.

But the initial response to its program at Target in the first week is a testament not only to the popularity of Techstars programs, but also to the opportunity to get inside the walls of one of the nation's largest retailers, said Broshar.

In the coming months, he's going to continue to spread the word about the program. He's planning to travel around the country to events to publicize the program.

So does he expect the number of applications to surpass a thousand? Broshar didn't want to hazard a guess.

The deadline for applications is mid-March and the first cohort of 10 startups selected to participate in the program will move to Minneapolis in June for the 3-month-long program.