Bronze Valley Accelerator selects five startups for Alabama mentoring program

Startup accelerator gener8tor announced that five companies have been selected for its summer 2021 Bronze Valley Accelerator program, giving them access to individualized coaching and a national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors.

The startups, recruited from Alabama and throughout the Southeast, represent a wide variety of industries and disciplines, ranging from waste technology to fan fiction content generation.

The group represents the third class for the Bronze Valley Accelerator, which focuses on supporting female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color using the gBETA model from gener8tor.

The program is designed to help startups gain early customer traction on their product or idea, and establish metrics that can make them competitive applicants for full-time, equity-based accelerators or for investment.

More than 150 startups from Alabama and beyond applied to participate in the program.

“In keeping with our commitment to help pave the way to success for people of color and women entrepreneurs, we look forward to working with this group of talented founders to assist in preparing them to attract seed funding and begin to grow and scale their businesses,” Bronze Valley President and CEO Neill Wright said.

Nourishing the ecosystem

Wisconsin-based gener8tor’s gBETA is a free, seven-week accelerator that works with five startups at a time for no fees and no equity. Each cohort is kept small to ensure meaningful engagement with the gener8tor team, network and other resources.

“Because it provides valuable guidance and mentorship at a pivotal moment in the life cycle of a startup, the Bronze Valley Accelerator represents a key component in our strategic efforts to grow and nourish the innovation ecosystem supporting entrepreneurs across the state,” said Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce.

The program kicked off May 6, and the startups will work with the gener8tor team over the course of seven weeks to meet mentors, gain customer traction and pitch to investors. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the summer 2021 program will be held virtually.

“In our second year, we continue to see a growing number of entrepreneurs and innovators across Alabama and beyond,” said Haley Medved Kendrick, director of the Bronze Valley Accelerator. “The five teams represent some of the extraordinary talent our community has to offer, and I am thrilled to welcome them to the Bronze Valley and gener8tor communities.”

The program will culminate June 30 at the Bronze Valley Accelerator Pitch Night, which will highlight each of the five companies. This virtual event will be an opportunity for the public to listen and learn more about the startups and network with the founders and other community members.

The Bronze Valley Accelerator is supported by Bronze Valley, Alabama Power and the Alabama Department of Commerce. The Bronze Valley Accelerator is held three times per year, with five companies accepted per cohort to ensure a high level of individualized attention.

In April, Gener8tor announced a partnership with the MidCity Accelerator Foundation in Huntsville to launch a gBETA program in North Alabama.

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.