The Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars on Monday announced the 10 startups that will form the program's inaugural class.
The cohort of companies all address technology, sports and entertainment and were selected from over 120 applicants. Of the 10 participating companies, five were founded by individuals from historically marginalized groups.
“We’re thrilled to welcome these talented and diverse startup founders to the Twin Cities and into the Twins family,” said Joe Pohlad, Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy and Growth for the Minnesota Twins. “We are excited to watch these companies as they progress and ultimately work together to help advance the sports and entertainment business.”
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The three-month program provides the early-stage startups and entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship and curated workshops. The program culminates with a demo day on Feb. 15, where each company will showcase their products.
The Accelerator is headquartered in the Ford Center in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis.
These are the 2021 Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars companies:
- West Chester, Pennsylvania-based Awsm Sauce is a zero-waste sauce and condiment company. Its product utilize a dry-pack sauce mix which is shipped in compostable packaging.
- Indianapolis-based BeyondRanked is a platform that connects casual gamers with esports commentators.
- Los Angeles-based Edge Sound Research develops immersive sound technology for gamers. The technology will increase gamers' abilities, and create a revenue stream for esports leagues.
- Washington, D.C.-based Happied provides personalized food and drink kits that remote-workers enjoy together.
- New York City-based Knoow is a location-based search engine that pairs users together at locations they want to visit.
- Minneapolis-based LeagueOS is an all-in-one software platform for esports. The software-as-a-service (SaaS) system allows for registration, operation, engagement and content.
- Austin, Texas-based Local Sports Network is a sports-focused social network that lets users watch high school games, purchase apparel and interact with others.
- Toronto-based Node is a platform that gives influencers an opportunity to receive gifts for creating branded posts.
- Boston-based OneScreen.ai is a SaaS marketplace for outdoor advertising, such as billboards.
- St. Paul-based SoleSafe is an insurance company specifically used for expensive sneakers.
