Meet the ELEVEN Technology Startups in Exponential Impact’s Spring 2023 Accelerator Program
We are thrilled to welcome 11 innovative companies to the Spring 2023 XI Accelerator program. With industries and technologies ranging from apps to AI, healthcare to cryptocurrency, and blockchain to bags, the companies were selected for their potential for rapid growth and local economic impact.
Exponential Impact is doubling down and investing in the Colorado Springs community with this upcoming spring cohort with all 11 startups having a local presence. From March-May, the entrepreneurs will have access to XI’s co-working space, receive one on one expert mentoring, participate in weekly wellness sessions, earn credits to use on professional services, and present at a final Demo Day.
The 2023 Accelerator will include two cohorts: Start and Scale. The six companies joining the Start cohort, designed for emerging startups attracting their first customer are: Classroom Expert, Digital Asset Sisters, Gobe, KareTeam, Peak Education & Security Farm. The five companies selected to participate in the Scale cohort, tailored for rapidly growing companies, include: Diode, Helping Habit, Flex Ecommerce, Salt Athletic & Universal Wallet. Keep reading to meet the startups!
CLASSROOM EXPERT provides a virtual platform for connecting K-12 Educators with professors and experts in their field, to bring highly engaging, live guest speaker experiences to students and educators virtually into their classroom. The platform assists teachers in teaching unfamiliar content, engages students when they are often disengaged, exposes students to information and professions they would not normally be able to access, and connects students between K-12 and higher level education.
DIGITAL ASSET SISTERS break the crypto barrier of entry traditionally caused by people not understanding cryptocurrency/blockchain lingo, as well as the safety and security within trading, buying, storing, and utilizing cryptocurrency. Digital Asset Sisters bridge that gap with a step-by-step guide to accelerate and equip everyday individuals with what they need to start or improve their investing in cryptocurrency.
KARETEAM addresses the growing demand from older adults to age at home. The current process is fraught with difficulties and challenges, and family and friends may be unable to successfully support their loved one’s preferences. The KareTeam solution: creates a plan, engages family & friends, coordinates and communicates, and provides information & resources - all for a monthly software subscription.
GOBE is a community-based app where people can either earn money with gear (mountain bikes, snowboards, etc.) lying around the house or people can use the app to find and rent exactly what they are looking for from a local person in the area. The app addresses the outdoor gear rental market which is filled with expensive gear, limited options, and wasted time.
STUDENT2STUDENT (an app of Peak Education) will allow low-income first-generation students to expand their network and social capital by connecting directly with current college and university students who are studying in their area of interest. This will also be a tool that community-based organizations can utilize to multiply their time and capacity to assist students entering college and engage their alumni.
SECURITYFARM PBC offerscyber security as a service, more specifically MXDR (Managed Extended Detection and Response) that protects business operations from polymorphic malware, ransomware, zero-day attacks and advanced persistent threats. The MXDR is a solution for any sized business to have robust protection and scalability without a financially prohibitive cost.
DIODE addresses the security chasm for teams to use the Public Internet to interact with high security IT/OT assets. Diode’s asset connectivity network fills an important gap for teams who need digital security in fluid information technology and remote team environments – such as those operated by many Operational Technology, R&D, Internet of Things (IoT), and DevOps teams.
HELPING HABIT PBC is an engagement and logistics platform for nonprofits, individuals, and companies. By allowing any nonprofit, regardless of size or budget, access to current recruitment and management technology tools, Helping Habit creates a marketplace that will maximize resources donated and increase the impact on the community.
SALT ATHLETIC, INC creates premium athletic bags featuring a patented technology, which incorporates a double-acting lining in the bags. The first layer made of silver-plated mesh kills bacteria and fungus. The second, made from military grade activated carbon absorbs smells and moisture from within the bag. Salt is solving the problem of unsanitary and foul-smelling athletic gear.
FLEX is an agnostic e-commerce platform that can be run anywhere. The platform allows you to quickly put up a bespoke, custom e-commerce site and support the unique aspects of your business, without the custom price tag. Flex is owned and maintained by Near Apogee, an e-commerce agency with experience in startups, marketplaces, and enterprise applications.
UNIVERSAL WALLET is an app that empowers people with limited knowledge about Crypto to buy tokens within a few easy clicks. The app ensures that each transaction is simple and safe and works with money sharing accounts you already use. Universal Wallet uses mainstream applications to ensure that you are able to buy, hold, and trade Cryptocurrency securely.