Near Zero, a Mesa-based outdoor gear startup, was among four companies nationwide that recently completed the Outdoor Accelerator Program run by a fast-growing national outdoor apparel retailer.
Near Zero, which makes lightweight backpacking gear, spent six weeks in Colorado and two weeks remote, participating in marketing, e-commerce and retail sessions with business experts as part of the accelerator program run by Michigan-based Moosejaw. The company also gained access to mentors, networking opportunities and the potential for its products to be sold in Moosejaw’s stores nationwide.
“The program was amazing and absolutely incredible,” said Scott Jensen, founder of Near Zero. “…I’ve been selling direct-to-consumer for the past two years and had not yet really got into the retail market very heavily. I’m in a couple of stores here in Arizona and I’m dabbling in a few other stores throughout the U.S., but the Moosejaw program has now accelerated me into the retail space."
Moosejaw’s accelerator program — which kicked off on May 8 — is intended to help founders grow successful outdoor companies. In addition to Near Zero, participants included Coastal Range Equipment, Fernweh Food Co. and WNDR Outdoors.
“It has opened my eyes into my target market, which is that beginner backpacker," Jensen said of Moosejaw's accelerator program. "It has created resources, networking and exposure to the retail market in a way that I couldn’t have done otherwise or it would have taken probably 10 years to get into. They accelerated it for me in eight weeks.”
Creating accessibility to nature
Jensen, who has more than 15 years in supply chain management experience, graduated with an MBA from Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Jensen, an Arizona native, said that his love of the outdoors began at a young age while camping with his father, Dean, and five brothers. Jensen and his father — who was an avid backpacker — had always wanted to launch an outdoor gear company.
After Dean passed away suddenly from a heart attack in 2018, Jensen decided to turn his dream of launching an outdoor gear company into reality.
Jensen launched Near Zero in 2019 and later created “The Dean,” a lightweight backpacking system named in honor of his father.
“I've got five kids of my own, and getting affordable, lightweight gear has been a huge struggle,” he said.” So I used my international background, my passion for the outdoors and working with my dad to ultimately provide a bundled solution and a backpack that made sense for beginner backpackers and overnight backpacking.”
The patent-pending backpack opens up like a suitcase to provide easy access to camping gear. Near Zero also sells backpack bundles of varying sizes that include tents, sleeping bags and other camping essentials.
“It's compartmentalized. It's organized. Everything's labeled, and it tells you where to put your tent, sleeping bag and cookware,” Jensen said. “There's dividers in it, and it opens like a suitcase or a camera bag. People have said it is transforming the way they do overnight backpacking.”
Near Zero’s backpacks and products are sold on the company’s website, on Amazon.com, at Just Roughin' It Adventure Co. in Scottsdale and LowerGear Outdoors in Tempe.
TravelCenters of America also sells the company’s pillows at its locations nationwide.
Currently, some 90% of Near Zero’s sales are direct-to-consumer with the remainder consisting of wholesale retail, Jensen said.
Jensen aims to further tap into the wholesale retail market in the coming year through other partnerships.
Near Zero recently inked an agreement with Subaru to carry the company’s pillows on the automotive brand’s website and more deals with others are in the works.
“We expect in the next year to further expand relationships through Moosejaw with Dick’s Sporting Goods, and potentially also REI as well as more mom-and-pop stores across the United States and Arizona," Jensen said.
