As 2021 kicks off with many of the same all-virtual precautions seen in 2020, innovation cohorts are also continuing ahead.
The Tampa Bay Innovation Center is the latest, which announced its winter 2021 cohort on Monday. The five startups chosen for the program will receive training and mentoring in customer discovery, investor-readiness and leadership over a 90-day period.
“We are excited to continue the Accelerator program in 2021 and welcome these innovative companies into the program," Ken Evans, accelerator managing director, said in a statement. "The selection process is always tough. There were many good applicants, but we focused our effort on the companies that we can assist most through the program and our mentor network.”
According to the Tampa Bay Innovation Center, the startups of the cohort include:
• BlockSpaces – The Tampa-based company recently pivoted from a blockchain meetup group network to launching its own product. It will provide an integration platform-as-a-service for mid-market enterprise systems to leverage blockchain services. It was also one of Tampa Bay Inno's 21 Startups to Watch in 2021.
• Code1 Medical Devices - The St. Petersburg-based medical device company creates emergency airway management devices to cut down on mortality due to airway complications.
• Cope Notes – The Tampa-based company provides a personalized messaging platform for user's mental and emotional wellbeing. Learn more about the company here.
• RB Technologies – The Tampa-based company provides a tracking system intended to create trust in supply chain information, specifically used for nutritional supplement suppliers and their customers.
• WeBoro, doing business as Neuron Enterprises – The only non-Tampa Bay company in the lineup hails from Boston. The company allows corporations to offer tutoring and virtual child care services as a benefit to employees.
The cohort will run January 13th through March 31, 2021, culminating in a showcase event to present to investors, community leaders, potential clients and customers and media.
The accelerator was initially launched in part by grant funding from the City of St. Petersburg. The previous summer 2020 cohort featured seven startups, which you can check out here.
