Wisconsin startup accelerator gener8tor announced the four companies that were born from its inaugural Accelerator Studio, a program designed to build startups from scratch using only Wisconsin-based entrepreneurs.
The companies, which were created during the four-month program that began in August, were unveiled Monday. The Accelerator Studio works by partnering with entrepreneurs who come in with no concept for a business, and they work with gener8tor's team over the course of the program to come up with a unique product or service.
Each startup received a $100,000 investment from gener8tor as part of the program, and will pitch their company to the public on Dec. 17 during gener8tor's Premier Night in Milwaukee. Each company will also have pitched more than 80 venture capital firms for additional funding by the time Premier Night arrives, gener8tor said.
“We think the studio model has the potential to change the narrative around innovation and new wealth and job creation in the Midwest and throughout the country,” gener8tor co-founder Joe Kirgues said in a statement.
Also during Premier Night, Microsoft President Brad Smith will be on hand to participate in a fireside chat about his new book, “Tools and Weapons: The Promise and Peril of the Digital Age.”
The four startups created in gener8tor's Accelerator Studio include:
Altin Labs
Founder: Ahmed Kanan
Altin Labs is developing a machine monitoring solution that enables manufacturers to monitor the performance of manufacturing equipment in real time for predictive maintenance. Its first product, Altin Links, allows manufacturers to capture electrical, mechanical, optical and other data from their machines and send the data to the cloud.
Cloudux
Founder: Ante Grgić
Cloudux has created a software platform that simplifies the creation, management and deployment of code in a multi-cloud environment, allowing software engineers without cloud development knowledge to quickly build and deploy serverless and containerized code on any cloud platform.
Alive & Well
Founder: Rita Roloff
Alive & Well is a direct-to-consumer startup that sells sustainable hair care products specifically for people with wavy and curly hair. Its kit includes reusable bottles for their hair products, and every month users receive refills in the mail.
Last Lock
Founder: Jack Ryan
Last Lock allows homes and businesses to transform any mechanical lock system into a highly secure smart lock. Electronic sensors are placed in the startup's smart cylinder, which scan and store the physical key’s profile, allowing owners to digitally manage, track and grant access.
