New York City may be one of the biggest global economic hubs, but did you know that it also has the one of the strongest startup ecosystems in the world?
Techstars knows that, and that’s one of the reasons it started Techstars NYC — an accelerator program that helps early-stage startups and entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level. Techstars NYC is an annual 13-week program that exposes founders to a variety of mentors, teaches founders how to grow their businesses and gain traction, and helps them perfect the art of telling their stories.
What sets Techstars apart from other accelerators? Its emphasis on people.
“We like to focus on relationships,” Jenny Fielding, the Managing Director of Techstars NYC, tells Built In. “It’s important to get to know founders as human beings.”
This relationship building starts way before Techstars’ 13-week program commences and it influences who gets admitted into this selective program. Often, Techstars is proactive about finding the right founders, sometimes even convincing founders who hadn’t thought about joining an accelerator to apply.
Fielding said this relationship-building is an important step in making the program truly personalized and specific to the needs of each business.
Diversity played a big role in this year’s Techstars NYC, with six out of the 10 CEOs admitted this year being women. Fielding said that there was an uptick in women founders applying to be in the program. This is a welcome change, she said, because diversity in people brings diversity in ideas.
So without further ado, here are the 10 startups of the Techstars NYC 2019 incoming class:
- Cube: Financial planning and analysis software for data collection.
- Every Mother: Exercise programming for women during pregnancy and after childbirth.
- GabLex: An AI assistant that uses natural language processing for a conversational interface.
- Hacware: Cybersecurity software that prevents insider threats and email phishing.
- Lou: Interactive tutorials that can replace digital help centers.
- Real World Playbook: Online services geared toward 20-somethings to help with life after graduation.
- SmartHop: An autonomous tool that helps truckers plan loads.
- SquarePlan: An AI property manager.
- Wagmo: A monthly membership plan for pet insurance and routine care.
- Wise: An online bank for small businesses.
