The TU Incubator at Towson University has fostered entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses since 2007. Its member companies have gotten a boost toward success via the incubator's network of connections and other resources, with almost all of its 11 graduates still in business. There are about 20 current members in the incubator right now, a mix of associate members who have access to most of the resources and resident members who are actually based at the incubator's co-working space on Towson's campus just outside Baltimore. There's no standard timeline for the incubator—each company works out individual milestones with the incubator, graduating when it hits those markers as opposed to a specific date.
There are plenty of reasons for companies to want to stick around though. Office space is a major feature of the incubator, with administrative support taking some of the pressure off of the usually small startup teams. The incubator also runs seminars and other events for its members and connects them directly with mentors and possible partners and collaborators that can lead to long-term deals even after the companies move on from the incubator.
We picked out five of the most intriguing graduate companies to highlight as examples of the innovation fermenting up at Towson.
Three Ring - An edtech platform for mobile devices, Three Ring helps teachers and students store and access documents, pictures and other media in the cloud. It helps organize the information and helps keep space on mobile devices free. The company also makes a point about its cybersecurity measures to keep student data safe.
Exis Interactive -Exis is a software and development company with a broad range of services such as mobile apps, video games and IT management. Its clients include military contractors, video game makers and telecom companies, which hire Exis to handle a variety of their technological needs.
My Hopeful Journey - My Hopeful Journey is a startup designed to help people dealing with infertility. The company's Infertility Survival Kit app includes tools to help users organize their treatment and find the doctors and community resources they are looking for.
Adashmore Creative - Adashmore is a creative marketing and development agency focusing on Baltimore. Along with designing advertising and marketing campaigns, the company has built websites, e-commerce platforms and other advanced digital products, aiming at the viral kind of marketing that is very popular at the moment.
Pure Bang Games - Pure Bang Games is an indie video game developer that first became well-known for its My Pet Rock Facebook game. It now has a small suite of other games including Deep Dive and MUD (pictured left).
