Startups to Watch

New Mexico has a diverse selection of startups making exciting moves in industries like biotechnology, aerospace and hydrogen energy.

And there are a lot of resources available to help these burgeoning young companies throughout the Land of Enchantment grow, whether they come from the south desert near Las Cruces or are tucked under the Jemez Mountains in Los Alamos.

Last year, New Mexico Inno highlighted 10 such companies in its inaugural Startups to Watch List. Now, that List is back, packed with 10 more startups that we think are primed for a big 2023.

Startups to Watch honorees were selected by the Albuquerque Business First editorial team. New Mexico Inno Reporter Jacob Maranda led the search. When considering each honoree, he looked at how the startups performed in 2022, as well as what they have planned in 2023.

All of the startups are featured in a special print edition of Business First published on Feb. 3. In the coming days online, you'll also have a chance to read about each business and learn about the work they are doing to grow their startups in New Mexico and beyond.

Staying in shape can be hard, especially for folks with disabilities who are often excluded from mainstream health and wellness platforms. TruFit has an app that fills that fitness gap.

Founded in 2010 as a training equipment company, Adam White, CEO and co-founder of Tijeras-based TruFit, alongside his brother John, launched a mobile application for the startup in May 2022. It's currently on the Apple app store and Google Play store, and White told Albuquerque Business First that the startup is working to make it web-based, too, which it plans to roll out this spring.

The app acts as an adaptive "fitness solution" for people with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities.

"I think there's a really important niche that needs to be filled in terms of the health and wellness inequities that are experienced by people with disabilities," White previously told Albuquerque Business First. "There are very few options out there for [people with disabilities] that are specifically designed for them or focused on that community."

While the app currently costs $10 for a monthly subscription, White wants to partner with health insurance providers to reduce that cost and make it more accessible. He told Business First that he's been in talks with some providers and hopes to land contracts early this year.

And late last year, TruFit signed a deal with Marion Street Capital, a Philadelphia-based management consulting firm that has an office in Santa Fe, to help it find more sources of capital funding. The startup is also growing its marketing through a partnership with CreativeFuse, a digital marketing agency based in Dayton, Ohio.

"We're just really excited about how things are coming together for us," White said. "We're starting a new phase of technology development that's going to make the app more accessible and inclusive, and we've been in talks with a lot of investors. I think 2023 is going to be a great year for building this adaptive fitness community."