gener8tor and MidCity Accelerator Foundation Announce 10 Companies Participating in the gener8tor Huntsville Accelerator
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – In partnership with MidCity Accelerator Foundation and RCP Companies, gener8tor announces the 10 startup companies selected for the fall 2022 gener8tor Huntsville Investment Accelerator and gBETA Huntsville Accelerator. Both programs provide a range of support, mentorship and access to venture capital for startups seeking to grow their businesses.
“RCP Companies and the MidCity Accelerator Foundation continue to be inspired by the work of the gener8tor team and the diverse group of founders who have applied for and been accepted to our Huntsville and North Alabama programs,” said Lindsey Pattillo Keane, executive director of MidCity District Association. “We invite the region to discover the robust start-up culture that is burgeoning in our community. The Tennessee Valley is known for brilliant, forward-thinking citizens, and gener8tor and the MCAF are ensuring that these big thinkers have a local accelerator where their business endeavors can flourish and thrive.”
The Huntsville Investment Accelerator kicked off on September 15 with five startups participating in gener8tor’s 12-week investment accelerator and receiving $100,000 of seed capital, access to gener8tor’s international network of mentors and investors, as well as entrepreneurial training and support. TThe companies selected for the Huntsville-based program are BevLive, Poligage, Sunset Vibes Swimwear, Urban Eatz, and Zaden Technologies. Startups were recruited from around the world with each competing in a rigorous application and interview process and selected from among hundreds of applicants because of their strong performance in four key elements: team, traction, product/service and market opportunity. Full company summaries are available below.
gBETA Huntsville’s fall 2022 cohort will kickoff on September 29. The seven-week accelerator is designed to help startups access the networks and resources needed to build venture-backable and economically impactful companies. The startups will receive intensive, individualized coaching and access to a national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors. From a very competitive applicant pool and interview process, these five startups stood out as some of the best and brightest in Alabama: PoP Therapeutics, Harmony Dx, Restorasis, Nia and Green Acre Pharms.
gener8tor Huntsville Accelerator aims to grow and scale leading startup companies, advancing the entrepreneurial impact in Huntsville and throughout the North Alabama region. Starting in 2021 with one program, the program has expanded to three accelerators conducted twice annually and has graduated more than 15 founders from its accelerators.
Collaborative partnerships with MidCity Accelerator Foundation and RCP Companies along with generous support provided by First Metro Bank, IronMountain Solutions, Renasant Bank, Robins & Morton, and Synovus Bank have spurred continued growth and allowed the Huntsville Accelerator to become a startup mainstay in Huntsville. The gener8tor Huntsville program is also supported through the Alabama Department of Commerce's Growing Alabama Tax Credit.
“The MidCity Accelerator Foundation and gener8tor partnership aligns with Huntsville’s economic initiative to further empower the city’s startup ecosystem,” said Haley Medved Kendrick, gener8tor senior managing director of Investment Accelerators. “We are thrilled to help position the state as an ideal location for startups to settle and grow right in the heart of the Tennessee Valley.”
Both accelerators will conclude in December with showcase events highlighting each of the 10 startups. Founders will have the opportunity to pitch their companies to investors, community partners and the public.
Investors, mentors and community members interested in connecting with the startup companies and programs are encouraged to contact Donna Ehart, Huntsville Investment Accelerator managing director, or Hua Wang, gBETA Huntsville director.
gener8tor Huntsville Investment Accelerator Fall 2022 | Cohort Summary
BevLive transforms the traditional wine purchasing experience through an immersive livestreaming sales platform. BevLive solves the confusing, and sometimes intimidating, task of choosing the right wine by offering the insight of winemakers, industry experts, connoisseurs, entertainers and influencers in an engaging fashion while also connecting wineries to new audiences in a captivating way. BevLive launched its MVP in June of 2022 and currently has 6 brands on the platform that hail from Australia and Spain.
Poligage connects users to top policy and government affairs experts via its first-in-industry online marketplace. Users share their questions or needs and receive a choice of experts to work with under a flexible usage-based pricing model. Poligage Experts participate in the marketplace to amplify their knowledge and earn additional revenue. Poligage is a DC-based, Delaware C-corp. Poligage has achieved GMV of $260,000 in its first two years with a 26% average gross margin and 6X revenue growth from its first year of operation.
Sunset Vibes empowers women of all shapes and sizes to feel their absolute best in a swimsuit, without compromising on fashion or style. Sunset Vibes designs are specifically tailored to the shape and size of a woman’s body type providing support and comfort. Sunset Vibes is a Delaware C-Corp, launched in January of 2022 and is sold in boutiques in 3 countries.
Urban Eatz is a delivery app that began catering to underrepresented restaurants, food trucks, and home-based businesses. They’ve since expanded to include all consumer goods and have found boutiques to be a largely untapped market. They are currently operating out of Houston, TX and are looking to expand their market into Huntsville, AL. Urban Eatz currently has 2,700 businesses operating on their platform and 30+ drivers.
Zaden Technologies delivers DevSecOps Infrastructure-as-a-Service for the defense and space industry. Olympus, Zaden’s flagship product, is an easily configurable and instantly deployable infrastructure platform enabling development teams to jump-start product development, shrinking the time to market for any new software product. This year, Zaden delivered multiple customized versions of Olympus to our customers. Zaden has an MRR of $309K with $2.5million in 2022 revenue; projected $3M by the end of 2022. Additionally, three Olympus customization contracts have been signed with additional customers, expected total revenue of $40M over the next 4 years.
gBETA Huntsville Fall 2022 | Cohort Summary
PoP Therapeutics: With ~$5M in SBIRs, PoP is developing medicine with samples taken from extreme environments.
Harmony Dx: With ~$1.7M in SBIRs, Harmony Dx is developing a cheaper, faster and better way to test for STDs at home.
Restorasis: With ~$270K in revenues, Restorasis has helped 250K+ people discover their personal rest deficits and avoid burnout.
Nia: Nia is using technology to scale burn care and can accept insurance reimbursement for its services.
Green Acres Pharms: Green Acres creates better CBD oils and gummies to improve health.
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About gener8tor
gener8tor is a venture firm and national accelerator network that supports startups, founders, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate programs in more than 41 communities across 22 states and two countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022.
About gener8tor Huntsville Accelerator
The gener8tor Huntsville Accelerator hosts three levels of programming for entrepreneurs at various stages of their company growth. The gALPHA Alabama Accelerator is open to entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs from across Alabama at the earliest stages of ideation and product validation. For entrepreneurs with an early-stage product, two gBETA North Alabama Accelerator programs are offered in Huntsville and Muscle Shoals. gBETA is a free, seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. Each program is capped at five teams and requires no fees and no equity. Finally, the gener8tor industry-agnostic program, Huntsville Investment Accelerator, invests $100k in six companies annually. The investment accelerator recruits globally for in-person participation in Huntsville.
About MidCity Accelerator Foundation
The MidCity Accelerator Foundation is an initiative of MidCity District. MidCity District is a nationally-acclaimed, mixed-use district located in the heart of the Tennessee Valley’s high-tech employment center and at the epicenter of the 13-county regional trade area with more than a 1.1 million population. Private investment at MidCity District is estimated to exceed $850 Million over the next five years. Once complete, the development will include 350,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment space; approximately 400,000 square feet of high-tech office space; 1,400 residential units; and approximately 650 hotel rooms. Building on the city's reputation, it will create a new destination designed to be a social and economic focal point for the diverse and dynamic community as well as a tool for recruitment and retainment of the younger workforce. More information is available at www.midcitydistrict.com.