Wisconsin-based startup accelerator gener8tor and education-focused nonprofit ECMC Group of Minneapolis announced the cohort for the 2024 OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator.
The five companies selected for the cohort will each receive a $100,000 investment, office space and access to gener8tor's global network of mentors and investors.
This year's cohort had 300 applicants from across the nation seeking to participate in the three-month accelerator program. The program culminates in a showcase celebration at the OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Conference in July and a three-week series of investor meetings. This year's conference is set for July 9-10 at Target Field in Minneapolis.
Here's the 2024 OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation Accelerator cohort:
- AirReading, based in San Mateo, California, provides a structured online reading program for students from Pre-K to sixth grade
- CoGrader, based in Berkley, California, provides a AI-powered grading tool that can help educators save up to 80% of their time spent on grading
- Folio.works, based in Oakland, California, trains and matches students with internships at venture-backed startups.
- Gradify, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, provides a LinkedIn for K-12 students that connects them to their school staff, non-profits, colleges and companies
- ProMazo's, based in South Bend, Indiana, platform provides global enterprises a way to discover high-potential talent amongst university student populations.
“This program not only advances solutions critical to solving the myriad challenges facing our education systems but also seeks to elevate a diverse group of entrepreneurs that are paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable future," said Joe Watt, vice president of impact investing at ECMC Group in a press release.
The OnRamp Education & Workforce Innovation program was launched in 2020 as a partnership between gener8tor and ECMC Group’s Education Impact Fund.
“I am especially excited to work with these five startups because of their commitment to creating a better, more equitable future within the education and workforce sectors,” said Moses Tut, managing director of OnRamp & Workforce Innovation Accelerator for gener8tor, in a press release.
Tut is a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal 2024 40 Under 40 honoree.
ECMC Group is a Minneapolis-based nonprofit focused on helping students succeed through financial tools and services, career and technical education and funding for innovative programs. It also assisted with the creation of MN Cup’s education and training division, which was added to the competition in 2018.
gener8tor was founded in Milwaukee and Madison and established a Minnesota presence in 2016. Since then, it has created accelerator programs in the Twin Cities and beyond in industries like medtech, insurance and more.
