Birmingham-based early-stage venture fund Bronze Valley, in partnership with gener8tor, kicked off its inaugural Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator cohort.
The Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator is an offering of the Bronze Valley VentureLab, focused on serving founders from backgrounds that historically have been excluded from access to capital.
The accelerator recruited startups nationally for the inaugural cohort, receiving more than 800 applications. The five companies selected are 8 Myles, Athyltic, Major Care, Productions.com and Promoshare.
“The partnership between Bronze Valley and gener8tor continues to contribute tremendously to innovation and the growth of new business and economic opportunity in Birmingham and beyond,” said Neill Wright, president and CEO of Bronze Valley. “Expanding this critical partnership through the Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator and VentureLab will increase our impact as we continue to support entrepreneurs and help define the future of business growth in our region and across the country.”
The VentureLab provides advisory services and intensive programming to people of color, female and other underrepresented entrepreneurs to create pathways for their companies through ideation, investment and scale through HBCU accelerator programs, one-on-one advising and support, and six-month accelerator programming that includes the Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator’s intensive three-month program. The Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator is held once per year with five companies accepted to ensure a high level of individualized attention.
“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Bronze Valley to amplify the impact the Bronze Valley VentureLab has had among companies with diverse founding teams,” said Haley Medved Kendrick, gener8tor Investment Accelerator senior managing director. “The five startups were selected from a highly competitive pool of over 800 applicants, and represent the exceptional caliber of founders we have had the opportunity to get to know through our work with Bronze Valley.”
At the end of the accelerator, startup founders will pitch their companies to investors, community partners and the public at a showcase event April 27 at Lumi in Birmingham.
Bronze Valley and gener8tor began their partnership with the Bronze Valley gBETA Accelerator, a non-equity accelerator focused on underrepresented founders, and the Bronze Valley gALPHA Accelerator, a non-equity entrepreneurship program for students affiliated with Alabama-based historically black colleges and universities. Over the last two years, the Bronze Valley Accelerator has supported 20 companies across four cohorts that collectively have raised over $8 million in venture capital after completing the program.
