The Lunar Startups accelerator announced its fourth class of startups Thursday, 15 firms chosen from a pool of 90 applicants, Lunar Startups Director Danielle Steer said.
"We were blown away by the quality of application we saw this year," Steer said in a statement.
The program will run from April through September and for now will be all virtual, Steer said. However, Lunar is planning on hosting its first Lunar Summit in September, which will serve as a celebration for the companies.
The startups selected for this cohort were designed to play off of each other and share their expertise, Steer said. The accepted companies were largely organized around themes, like jewelry and clothing or food.
St. Paul-based Lunar Startups serves companies founded by women, people of color or members of the LGBTQ+ community. Companies that have passed through the accelerator have created 89 jobs and have earned over $10 million in revenue.
The fifteen startups in the Lunar Startups class of 2021 are:
- Sweet Troo Vi sells liege waffles and other sweets. The Minneapolis-based company was founded by Bobbi Jo Lamar Brunson.
- Teqnizan makes Bluetooth audio earrings. The Medina-based company was founded by Rama Prasad.
- Quebracho Empanadas manufactures and sells frozen empanadas. It was founded by Belén Rodríguez.
- ShotCaller is a social gaming company that lets users make predictions about sports games. It was founded by Michael Hunter Dansbury.
- Taka is a soccer training app that donates 10% of its profits to help grow the game. It was founded by Kyle Johnson.
- Mx Apparel Design is a gender-neutral clothing company. It was founded by Maxine Britt.
- Moody's Ice Cream is an ice cream company with herbal flavors. The St. Paul-based company was founded by Rachael Rinehart.
- Cake Plus-Size Resale is a thrifting service for plus-sized clothes. The Minneapolis-based company was founded by Cat Polivoda.
- Larissa Loden Inc. is a jewelry company. The Minneapolis-based company was founded by Larissa Loden.
- SoleSafe provides insurance and appraisals for sneaker resale. The St. Paul-based company was founded by Phil Terrill.
- Taking Stock Foods makes chicken bone broth for home consumers. It was founded by Mary Marselis Clark.
- Lip Esteem makes plant-based, cruelty-free lipstick and lip care products. It was founded by Tameka Jones.
- BLCK Press is a media company focusing on diverse news. It was founded by Georgia Fort.
- Silk Road Wellness makes Halal-friendly skincare and wellness products. It was founded by Annie Qaiser.
- Black Tech Talent is creating an ecosystem of jobs, content and education for Black technologists. The Minneapolis-based company was founded by Mike Jackson.
