Twenty women-led startups are beginning a new Atlanta pre-accelerator from Techstars and J.P. Morgan.
The Techstars Founder Catalyst Program helps founders with a business plan figure out what’s next, said Courtney Gras, a Techstars director. The pre-accelerator accepts startups at the pre-seed stage and focuses on teaching founders how to raise money to fund their ventures.
The Atlanta cohort is the first Techstars pre-accelerator in the country and adds to the city’s network of Techstars programs, which include two accelerators in partnership with Cox Enterprises.
“It’s wonderful to have a Techstars accelerator program in the city because we already have a footprint here and know the ecosystem,” Gras said.
The virtual, 10-week program will conclude Dec. 13 with a demo day, Gras said.
Cheryl Kellond, a serial entrepreneur based in Denver, will serve as the entrepreneur in residence. The virtual setup also allows founders to receive mentorship from experts all over the world, Gras said.
J.P. Morgan supports the program as part of its Women on the Move initiative to empower female employees and all women. The Founder Catalyst Program does not have plans to recur annually, Gras said.
Meet the Atlanta women-led startups in the program:
- Onwards HR: A management platform to automate employee separations
- Staat: Software engineering visibility and planning tool
- Forefront app: Social media marketplace and delivery service for small businesses
- LoCo Plus: Streaming platform for local content creators
- My Panda: Connects personal assistants to busy people
- Palmly: Christian social media app
- Skintelligent Corp.: Artificial intelligence-driven skin diagnostic technology
- JoJo Learning: Books and activities to help children learn multiple languages
- Small Bites Adventure Club: Tools and activities to help children eat healthy
- Travelsist: Travel app for airport assistance
- Co-CreatED: Marketplace to connect schools with teacher trainings
- CHOZEN MEDIA: Video marketing agency
- The HGLT: Video-shopping software
- Pose Button: Web extension to find coupons for fashion wear
- WellMiss: On-demand wellness tips and products
- The William Pleshette Co.: Swimcaps designed to keep hair dry
- Vaila Shoes: Business shoes for extended sizes
- We Are The LO LLC.: Social media network for queer women
- Menara Inc.: Construction waste management platform
- Transition CNA LLC: Connecting healthcare employers with qualified candidates
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled one of the company names. This has since been corrected.
