Eight Milwaukee-area startups in industries ranging from music to 3D imaging were selected to each receive a $10,000 grant through the MKE Tech Hub Coalition's FOR-M incubator program. The coalition awarded the grants Monday evening.
This was the third round of grants awarded. In less than two years, the coalition has awarded a total of $200,000 to 20 local startups, MKE Tech Hub Coalition CEO Kathy Henrich said via email.
Startups that have previously participated in the free FOR-M program were eligible to apply for the grants. Winners were selected by a panel of local investors without involvement from coalition staff, Henrich said.
The winners of this round of FOR-M grants were:
- AfroCharts: A decentralized music platform founded by Leonard Novati
- Food FiXR: An augmented reality healthy eating app founded by Grace Hameister
- Free Music Land: A music licensing marketplace founded by Ian McCullough
- Glateum: An online support solution for people with terminal illnesses founded by Henry Woodd and Raphael Le Deley
- Imago Labs: A startup founded by Alex Schofield and Jonathan Powell that's developing technology for producing a 3D effect without specialized eyewear
- Internship on Demand: An employer-driven internship training platform founded by Keegan Moldenhauer
- Oppo: A tool designed by Candace McKenzie for foster kids and social workers to improve communication and data tracking
- Unext: An education and career-planning solution for college students founded by Tyrone Powell
Internship on Demand was one of Wisconsin Inno's 2022 startups to watch and Oppo was among the startups chosen to present at the most recent FOR-M founder showcase in May.
Applications are still open for the next FOR-M cohort, which will run from Sept. 19 through Nov. 14. This will be the sixth cohort since the program launched in 2019.
The MKE Tech Hub Coalition announced its first FOR-M grant winners in May 2021 and its second-round FOR-M grant recipients in August 2021.
