The Tampa Bay Wave showcased talent from its fifth annual TechDiversity cohort this week, highlighting underrepresented founders, including women, minorities, veterans and those in the disabled and LGBTQ communities.
The cohort launched in 2018 after a grant from the Nielsen Foundation to create a first-of-its-kind program supporting diversity among early-stage tech startups.
"When we first started talking about it, we were shocked, saying, 'There has to be an accelerator focused on diversity,'" Andrea Bertels, VP of corporate citizenship at Nielsen, said at the Tuesday night pitch event held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. "And when we asked about it, it was clear the resources and connections here could be deployed for this group in a unique and innovative way."
The fall cohort is comprised of 15 companies across the globe, with six of those hailing in part from Tampa Bay. We've got the rundown below.
302 Interactive
Headquarters: Orlando
What they do: Provides a platform that standardizes 3D development — used in virtual reality — and allows users to publish across platforms versus its competitors that limit the usage to one platform.
Standout stats: The company expects to have 1.1M Easel licenses by 2027 and capture 100 million in annual recurring revenue.
BāKIT Box
Headquarters: Chicago, with a co-founder in Tampa
What they do: BāKIT Box offers a gourmet bake-it-at-home kit enabled by technology. It launched in February 2021 as a way to help with baking recipe fatigue, money wasting and lack of diverse options. It is in the process of building a content platform.
Standout stats: In its one year of functioning, the company has 500 customers with 1,500 kits sold. They have product placement in boxes like HelloFresh and Sur La Table.
Coralai
Headquarters: Seattle
What they do: Users can scan their faces to receive 300 different data points and then receive tailored skin care product recommendations from professionals.
Standout stats: The company launched three weeks ago and has 300 visits, 50 skin scans and 10 orders sold.
Finni Health
Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario
What they do: A platform that enables autism providers to start their own at-home clinics in 30 days or less. It launched three months ago and is in Texas and New Mexico.
Standout stat: Its co-founders have experience at General Assembly, Red Fin and Spotify.
JobGraze
Headquarters: Tampa
What they do: JobGraze will offer an online job platform connecting licensed health care professionals and employers. The company is four months old and will launch the platform next February. It has 120-plus health care professionals in the hopper currently, with the goal to hit 10,000 by its public launch.
Standout stats: The co-founders are an aunt-niece duo.
Krew Social
Headquarters: St. Petersburg
What they do: Krew Social is a friend-making app focusing on building community across multiple verticals, including universities, apartment complexes and sports organizations.
Standout stats: The company is launching at the University of Tampa next week.
LunaJoy Health
Headquarters: St. Petersburg
What they do: Offers a digital mental health clinic focused on women through their life span, from puberty to perimenopause.
They provide in-network therapy, medication management and coaching. It launched nine months ago and has had 20% growth month over month, recently raising $45,000 in revenue in July alone.
Standout stats: It is a Y Combinator-backed company and recently closed its seed round for an undisclosed amount.
Maya Ai
Headquarters: Tampa
What they do: Maya is a market intelligence engine for data teams. It takes external influences and turns them into insights for price optimization. It has nine pilots currently.
Standout stats: It is founded by a group of three brothers who are all serial entrepreneurs.
No Limbits
Headquarters: Iowa City, Iowa
What they do: No Limbits is a ready-to-wear adaptive clothing brand for comfort, confidence and independence with a focus on disabled adults, not their caretakers. The company went on "Shark Tank" and closed a deal with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Good American co-founder Emma Grede.
Standout stats: It was in LA Fashion Week in March and will be at New York Fashion Week in September. It has launched on Walmart and Zappos.
O’Peers
Headquarters: San Francisco
What they do: O’Peers offers a suite of customized wellness benefits, including support groups, coaching and community engagement. They have 500+ members and have provided 2,000 support hours.
Standout stats: Its co-founders are TechStars alumni and three-time founders.
REES
Headquarters: Winnipeg, Ontario
What they do: REES — which stands for respect, educate, empower survivors — is an online platform used to report sexual harassment or assault. The information and data give insights about how the issue is occurring, which users can then use to inform change and create safer spaces.
Standout stats: The company has 28 customers, including the NHL team the Winnipeg Jets.
STAKANA
Headquarters: Seattle
What they do: They are a predicative analytics SaaS company to offer customer insights, through AI, to community banks and credit unions. They predict customer behavior to increase revenue, market share and customer loyalty.
Standout stats: They have launched a forum, will launch customer pilot projects this fall and a financial executive roundtable discussion in the future.
TechComb
Headquarters: Tampa
What they do: TechComb offers automated detection and alert systems for schools. The plug-and-play software solution identifies and sends alert notifications about harmful threats nearing or entering schools.
Standout stats: The company, run by two fathers, was launched roughly eight weeks ago. Its goal is to live in 25 schools in six months.
Venteur
Headquarters: Berkeley, California
What they do: Venteur is an AI-powered benefits marketplace allowing employers to give their employees tax-free money for health insurance versus having to buy a group health insurance plan. They help companies with reporting, payment and tax administrative support.
Standout stats: It launched in February and has doubled in customers every month since.
