The Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship, the entrepreneur programming arm of Saint Louis University’s Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, has selected four companies for a new accelerator program it launched earlier this year.
The four companies chosen for the New Venture Accelerator (NVA) will each receive up to $50,000 in equity-free funding and participate in a 14-week accelerator program that ends with a demo day in August. The NVA is open to SLU students and alumni who have received a degree from SLU in the past five years.
“We are excited about this year’s cohort, which represents five different schools at SLU. This diversity in disciplines will be a great asset as we tackle problems throughout the summer,” said Lewis Sheats, executive director of the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship. “In addition, the participants are developing strong companies that add to our St. Louis entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
The companies selected for the NVA’s first cohort are:
- GenAssist: The startup is developing a sponge designed to provide muscle regeneration after traumatic injuries. Its founders include Gabe Haas, a 2020 graduate of SLU’s School of Science and Engineering; Koyal Garg, associate professor of biomedical engineering in SLU’s School of Science and Engineering; and Joe Beggs, a Washington University graduate.
- Moii Coffee: The company, founded by SLU student Firaol Ahmed, sells Ethiopian coffee. Ahmed is a junior majoring in entrepreneurship at SLU’s Chaifetz School of Business.
- Posie Pots: The business creates and sells flowerpots it describes as “self-watering luxury planters.” Kay Wells, founder of Posie Pots, is currently a student in SLU’s School of Professional Studies, seeking a post-baccalaureate certificate in organizational leadership.
- Quick Naloxone: The startup has a medical device it says uses “advanced sensor technology” to automate deployment of medication used for treating opioid overdoses. Kirti Madhu, a junior at SLU who is double majoring in medical sciences and women and gender studies, is founder of Quick Naloxone.
Programming for SLU’s NVA will focus on helping participants with customer discovery, revenue modeling and business development. The four companies selected for the NVA were chosen after being among 10 finalists that were chosen to give in-person pitches. The cohort was selected by a group of judges that included entrepreneurs, SLU alumni and business investors. The Chaifetz Center said its NVA program is being supported with funding from alumni of SLU’s business school.
