Bunker Labs, a local nonprofit group promoting veteran entrepreneurship, held its first "Muster" event Tuesday as part of Twin Cities Startup Week. Muster featured both local business leaders and veteran-led startups from across the country.
Bunker Labs has a presence in more than a dozen cities across the country. The organization officially launched its Minneapolis arm during Twin Cities Startup Week last year. One year in, Bunker has run two iterations of the Entrepreneurial Program for Innovation and Collaboration (EPIC), its incubator for early-stage, veteran-led startups.
With Bunker's first Muster event, we decided to take a moment to highlight some of the top veteran-founded startups in the Twin Cities to watch.
Alchemy: A gym offering comprehensive workouts using different forms of fitness like yoga, strength and cardiovascular training. Founded in 2015, Alchemy now has several locations across the Twin Cities and plans to expand into new markets next year. CEO Mike Jones competed in Muster's $5,000 pitch competition Tuesday.
Mobility for All: An early-stage transportation startup currently participating in EPIC. The company aims to improve transportation for those with limited mobility by creating a ride-hailing platform similar to Uber or Lyft.
Shadow Culture: A veteran advocacy firm that provides training to help organizations that serve, hire or market to the 2.6 million Americans that have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. The company trains civilian leaders to recognize the values and mindsets of post-9/11 veterans, including their problem solving abilities, leadership skills and values-based culture.
Intervotion: Creates tools for first responders to digitally map buildings before entering, providing information on equipment access points or locations of those trapped inside. Intervotion was one of the first startups to participate in EPIC.
Recovree: Provides digital health tools to improve outcomes for those battling substance abuse. The startup was a semifinalist in the impact ventures division of this year's Minnesota Cup and was awarded $10,000 as the top veteran-led startup in the competition.
