Six college student-led startups will participate in the Miami University Redhawk Launch Accelerator's seventh cohort, officials announced this week.
Participants will go through programming led by Daniel Jones and Mark Lacker, of Miami's Department of Entrepreneurship, to help build their seed-stage businesses. They'll also receive a $750 grant and the opportunity to make at least one investor pitch to more than 100 accelerator directors, angel investors and VCs from 20-plus states during the Altman Institute’s RedHawk Venture pitch competition.
Here's what RedHawk had to say about each startup:
- Bloxsmith, a provider of digital in-game assets and gaming currencies for community-based game developers. Bloxsmith is the first metaverse marketplace for Roblox game developers. Since 2017, Bloxsmith has been provided clients in more than 20 countries access to hundreds of highly detailed digital maps, models, graphical user interfaces, scripts, morphs/armors and more.
- Step Up Social, a student-run social media marketing agency based out of Miami University, Ohio. The firm specializes in TikTok campaigns and startup marketing by using college student “creators” to generate content at scale. This type of content is especially effective in converting younger audiences and is cheaper than traditional agency work. Current clients include growth companies and funded startups. The company has grown to over $180,000 in ARR and seven employees in less than a year and was recently featured on Amazon Prime TV and selected as a winner of Main Street Venture’s Launch It: Cincy Pitch Competition.
- AutoHive, a peer to peer marketplace that makes it quick and easy to find used car parts. Our goal is to make it as streamline as possible to post and sell any kind of car part or accessory you may have as well as find the parts you need to get your project rolling. Whether you’re a back-yard mechanic, a budding shop finding your niche or an established shop of any scale, we strive to give everyone the ability to make professional, well-organized listings with the information every customer needs to make an informed purchase.
- emilyOandbows, a lifestyle and digital media company that focuses on creating content on social media for women. Additionally, emilyOandbows sells original merchandise centered around home decor, apparel, and entertainment. Through posting consistently on social media emilyOandbows has amassed a loyal audience that follows her journey, purchases her merchandise and attracts sponsorships from large brands.
- Virra, a company providing a platform and services specializing in the creator economy to help them reach their true fans, establish a connection with them, and monetize them. Recently launched two software products to help artists connect with fans and music curators on Spotify automatically
- Space Foundry operates in the $85 billion-dollar global gaming industry with a player-to-player trading platform for digital in-game assets. Founded in January 2020, we have provided customers in over 45 countries access to thousands of specialized digital ships, ground vehicles, weapons, clothes, and other accessories from the game Star Citizen.
Collectively, RedHawk Launch Accelerator graduates have raised more than $15 million in follow-on funding since 2015. Last year, the accelerator received $50,000 from Jeffrey and Sarah Kadlic to fuel its efforts.
