Techstars Austin just announced the 10 startups that will be participating in its 2021 accelerator program.
Members of this year’s class are based all over, from Fargo, North Dakota, to Medellín, Colombia, representing a variety of industries. All 10 participants will spend the next three months working extensively with mentors, networking with potential investors, and researching their industry. Similar to past years, the program will focus heavily on teaching business fundamentals, like how to build a data-driven business plan and how to measure your progress with KPIs.
The program will culminate in a demo day on March 24, where the class will present to the public. In the end, all of the entrepreneurs are granted access to Techstars’ resources for life, as well as its network of 10,000 mentors, 15,000 investors and 2,300 alumni companies.
Techstars Austin’s Accelerator Program Class of 2021
- BallBox, Inc.
- Enlightapp
- Fêtefully
- Hampr
- Kousso
- Livo
- Mowies
- Nutritional Freedom
- SocialMama
- Talk Howdy
This year’s program, like pretty much everything else right now, will be held entirely online. Although this set up is unconventional, managing director Amos Schwartzfarb says going virtual “wasn’t new” to Techstars Austin.
“We’re especially excited about the fully virtual aspect of this year’s program, as we think it will allow us to be incredibly focused on building some great businesses. While we will lose some of the social element that comes along with officing in tight quarters for three months, we believe we’ll more than make up for it on the focus and business building side of things,” Schwartzfarb said in a statement.
He continued: “I am beyond thrilled with the nine incoming companies we’ll be working with over the next three months and believe this will be one of the strongest classes we’ve seen in Techstars Austin to date.”
This week, Techstars Austin also announced it has made Austin-based tech mentor Caroline Tosbath its new program manager. Going forward, she will be responsible for running operations of the accelerator program.
The 2021 class is listed below. Descriptions were provided by Techstars but have been edited for length and clarity:
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BallBox, Inc. (Chicago, Illinois): A platform that manages a network of kiosks where people can rent sports, tech and leisure equipment at beaches, parks and hotels.
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Englightapp (Fargo, North Dakota): A platform that helps teachers better understand their students and how best to teach them through student profiles, dynamic polls and data analysis.
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Fêtefully (Dallas, Texas): A wedding and event planning platform that uses personality algorithms and automated workflows to streamline the process and make it more accessible. Professional planners can also use the site to earn money on the side.
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Hampr (Lafayette, Louisiana): An on-demand laundry service that will pick up, fold and deliver your laundry within 24 hours for $10-$15 a load or $39 a year.
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Kousso (Charlotte, North Carolina): A platform that allows homeowners to store all the details of their home in one place, from paint colors to mortgage status. The site then provides data-driven information on things like home maintenance and budgeting.
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Livo (Coral Gables, Florida): A property management platform that aims to streamline the rental process by leveraging tech that improves the experience for prospective renters while also maximizing leasing terms for property managers.
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Mowies (Medellín, Colombia): A platform that allows users to purchase films, documentaries, music and other creations directly from the creator. Creators can also upload their own creations to the site for free and immediately begin monetizing.
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Nutritional Freedom (Austin, Texas): A platform offering resources like meal prep guides, worksheets and weekly check-ins with experts to help women ditch crash diets and live healthier lives longterm.
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SocialMama (Houston, Texas): A social networking platform where mothers can connect with each other and get access to various motherhood experts and specialists.
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Talk Howdy (Austin, Texas): A platform where people with common interests can connect with one another through small, virtual meet-ups.
