Lighthouse Labs has announced the eight startups participating in its fall accelerator. Executive Director Erin Powell said the group's collective skill, drive and ability to innovate makes it one of the most promising cohorts to date.
Powell said the fall cohort will also be the accelerator's first hybrid program. The program runs from late August to November and will be predominately virtual, but Lighthouse will host each of the eight teams in person during the week of Oct. 4, she said.
"We recruited five teams from out of state and three from here in Virginia," she said. "We are really using this week in-person to showcase Richmond as to why we are such avid supporters of the startup community."
Powell added, "The city is going to really roll out the red carpet for them, so to speak."
Each of the eight startup teams will receive $20,000 in equity-free funding at the end of the accelerator. To date, Lighthouse Labs has invested more than $1 million into 72 other early-stage startups over the last nine years.
The fall accelerator's eight startups are:
- Athlytic: A fully-integrated marketplace that connects student athletes with potential endorsement partners to help them take advantage of monetizing their likeness without taking away from their performance in academics and in their sport. Co-founded by Ashton Keys and Jared Eummer and based in Detroit, Michigan.
- bloomRail: An e-commerce software-as-a-service provider focused on automation, optimization and scaling for online sellers. Co-founded by Allen Rogers and Will Hunt and based in Richmond.
- No Limbits: A ready-to-wear adaptive clothing brand aimed at increasing comfort, confidence and independence in those who struggle with clothing due to a disability. Founded by Erica Cole and based in Iowa City, Iowa.
- Our World: Equips students with the tools they need to participate in climate change solutions through tech-enabled learning experiences. These experiences connect them with sustainable technologies, practices and the means to bring those solutions to their communities. Co-founded by Addie Klimek and Blake Blaze and based in Charlottesville.
- Pegasus Admin: Allows real estate developers to connect their 3rd parties on one platform for greater control over their projects. Co-founded by Christian Lessard, Anshul Nanda and Viswas Vuppala and based in Leesburg.
- SpellBound: Uses augmented reality to help hospital care teams positively engage patients in treatment, lowering cost of care and improving experience. Founded by Christina York and based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- Tribaja: A "modern day work tribe" or digital talent marketplace for underrepresented tech and startup enthusiasts. Tribaja is a community that represents the future of work in culture and skillset. Founded by Shannon Morales and based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- WorkCEO: Makes invoicing, GPS tracking of technicians, quotes, billing and customer management easier and faster. Co-founded by Malcolm and Jason Brown and based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Like the milestone 10th cohort that came before it, Lighthouse Labs' newest group of startups is diverse by design, Powell said. Seven of eight teams have a founder or co-founder whose racial, ethnic or gender identity is traditionally underrepresented in the startup ecosystem.
"When I came on board (in April 2020), 52% of our cohort teams had an underrepresented founder, and now we're up to 58%," she said. "There’s certainly an element of intentionality there, but we are also very intentional about being founder friendly, and that means all types of founders."
