Techstars Chicago, the venerable startup accelerator that’s mentored fast-growing local companies like SpotHero and LogicGate, has revealed the 10 companies in its 2020 class.
The accelerator program, which operates cohorts across the country, was originally founded in Colorado in 2006 and launched a Chicago operation in 2013.
Last year, Techstars Chicago landed a new leader when Logan LaHive stepped down. Neal Sáles-Griffin, a well-known Chicago tech entrepreneur and former mayoral candidate, took over in July.
Many of the startups in this year’s cohort, all of which are being built in Chicago, operate in lifestyle industries. The program culminates with a demo day on April 21.
“The founders we’ve selected for Techstars Chicago 2020 are passionate, embody a #GiveFirst approach in their leadership, are deeply connected to their customers, and are committed to leveraging Chicago’s unique startup ecosystem,” Sáles-Griffin said in a statement. “They’re fun, hardworking and incredibly diverse."
Meet the 10 startups below:
Bottlecode: The startup, founded by Drishay Menon, Rob McIntosh and Jeff Meyers, makes an online platform that curates and sells personal skincare products to men. It focuses on education and expert guidance to help men find products and regimens that work for them.
Havoc Shield: Havoc Shield has built a fast and effective cyber security program specifically for startups. It provides startups an action plan that guides them step-by-step through a prioritized security program.
Pairi: Pairi is an all-in-one business automation platform for beauty service freelancers. The platform breaks down logistical barriers to freelancing by allowing beauty professionals to manage bookings, payments, taxes, customer relationships and more.
NutriSense: This AI-powered, personalized nutrition startup aims to help users select a diet that works with their unique physiology. NutriSense enables users to change their habits and reduce the likelihood of developing metabolic disorders, like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It can also help users lose weight or improve their athletic performance.
Elite Personal Chefs: This mobile app allows chefs to offer in-home dining and personal chef experiences. Using Elite Personal Chefs, chefs can set their own schedule, sell tickets to events, create menus and set custom pricing.
ReelCrafter: This online platform allows artists to easily create personalized web pages to showcase trackable audio demo reels.
Visual Feeder: Visual Feeder provides a marketplace that connects landlords with brands who may want to use their vacant window space for advertising. The startup says it offers brands the ability to display dynamic, quality content that engages their consumers while providing key metrics to track performance and ROI.
ToDoolie: This startup operates a marketplace for homeowners to hire local students for hourly tasks, such as yard work and household maintenance.
GoNanny: The B2B SaaS startup offers a fully-automated platform childcare centers so they can more easily provide safe pickups and drop offs. GoNanny also provides an employee vetting system for the childcare industry.
Contract Cloud: Contract Cloud has built an automated workflow and content management platform that simplifies government procurement.
