DENVER, CO - The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) and nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor
announced today the five companies selected for its first cohort for the gBETA Opportunity Zone Capital Accelerator program. The businesses selected represent a wide variety of industries and verticals throughout the state of Colorado from the San Luis Valley to the Western Slope, ranging from software and transportation to e-commerce and outdoor recreation.
gBETA, a program of gener8tor, is a free, seven-week accelerator that works with five companies simultaneously for no fees and no equity. Each cohort is kept small to ensure meaningful engagement with the gener8tor team, network and other resources. Participants receive intensive and individualized coaching and access to gener8tor’s national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors. The program also helps maximize investment in Colorado’s Opportunity Zones in partnership with OEDIT.
“We are excited to partner with gener8tor to help Colorado companies attract investment that can have a transformative impact in the state’s Opportunity Zones.” said Jack Tiebout, Opportunity Zone Program Manager at OEDIT.
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 seed investment.
The program kicked off on January 6, 2022. Participating companies will meet mentors, gain customer traction and pitch to investors.
The program culminates on March 1, 2022 at the gBETA Opportunity Zone Capital Accelerator Pitch Night, highlighting each of the five companies. The gBETA Opportunity Zone Capital Accelerator Pitch Night provides an opportunity for the public to listen and learn more about the companies, network with the founders and engage with other community members. Those wanting to attend can RSVP on the website. Applications for the second cohort will open in March.
The gBETA program in Colorado is supported by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. To learn more, connect with Vanessa Huerta, gBETA Opportunity Zone Capital Accelerator Director at vanessa@gener8tor.com or visit the website.
COLORADO | WINTER 2022 COHORT
Alluvia Packraft makes lightweight, packable, inflatable boats for casual paddlers who want to include water sports in their outdoor activities. 3% of profits go toward making the outdoors a more inclusive, diverse, and safe space for everyone. Alluvia Packraft was incorporated in March 2021 and is based in an Opportunity Zone in Grand Junction, CO. Since their launch in September, Alluvia Packraft has reached 3.3K+ accounts on social media, received 900+ visits on the website and generated initial revenue of $3K+.
alluviaraft.com | CEO: Mariana Cevallos | mariana@alluviaraft.com
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Oso Meals provides a brand of culturally diverse food and beverage products for the everyday adventurer. Current adventure meal brands do not meet the needs of a growing and diverse outdoor market. Today’s meals are bland, cheap, lack real flavor or spice, and are overwhelmingly euro-centric recipes. Oso Meals provides more options and allows customers to take their favorite culturally relevant meal anywhere they would like, making outdoor activities feel more welcomed and enjoyable. Oso Meals fulfills the need for good, tasty, and spicy culturally diverse foods in the backcountry. After a successful kickstarter campaign, Oso Meals generated $21K+ in revenue in 45 days, pre-sold over 500 meals, and won third place in the Denver Startup Week BIPOC 2021 competition.
Osomeals.com | CEO: Dom Barrera | dom@osomeals.com
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SpinDrift Sandboard rentals has been the premier place for visitors to rent sandboards and sandsleds for use at the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. Sandboards and sandsleds are similar to snowboards or sleds that have been specifically designed to slide and carve through the sand. Over a half million visitors come from all over Colorado and the world to this National Park every year and SpinDrift’s shop is directly located on the route in rural Blanca, Colorado. SpinDrift Sandboards Rentals has exceeded business projections from the rental business and plans to expand into retail and manufacturing of sandboards and sandsleds. SpinDrift Sandboards strives to provide a stellar customer experience and maintains a 5.0 score in customer reviews and generated $95K+ in sales in 2021.
Spindriftsandboards.business.site | CEO: Amy Raney | spindriftsandboards@gmail.com
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Zombeez designs and develops footwear created by frontline workers for frontline workers. Zombeez uses proprietary technology that provides 360 degree antimicrobial protection. In the US there are over 30 million health care professionals and 2.2 million first responders who could benefit from this product. Zombeez is a mission-driven company with high ethical standards. Zombeez has proven the concept of their product, secured their Intellectual Property and obtained one hundred customer discovery interviews.
www.shopzombeez.com | CEO: Abbey Pikul | abbey.pikul@karnaliinnovations.com
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Truck Desk offers a compliance-as-a-service solution for the trucking industry. By using the Truck Desk platform, trucking companies can afford to stay compliant with federal and state regulations without the endless paperwork. According to the Department of Transportation, the average trucking company fine in 2021 was $6,621. Beyond fines, trucking companies can have their licenses revoked or even face jail time for serious offenses. Truck Desk allows trucking companies to avoid these penalties for an affordable monthly subscription. The company has a growing waitlist of 800+ potential users and recently acquired its first paid customer, generating an initial MRR of $100.
Truckdesk.com | CEO: Nosa Iyare | dispatch@truckdesk.us
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About gener8tor
gener8tor’s turnkey platform for the creative economy connects startup founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences and fellowships.
About gBETA
gBETA accelerates the growth of early-stage companies through its network-driven program. gBETA supports five teams per cohort and requires no fees and no equity. Since launching in 2015, gBETA program alumni have raised $311M+ in capital and created 2,800+ jobs across the US and Canada. For more gBETA statistics, visit gbetastartups.com/statistics.
About Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works with partners to create a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. Under the leadership of Governor Jared Polis, we strive to advance the State’s economy through financial and technical assistance that fosters local and regional economic development activities throughout Colorado. OEDIT offers a host of programs and services tailored to support business development at every level including business retention services, business relocation services, and business funding and incentives. Our office includes the Global Business Development division; Colorado Tourism Office; Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office; Colorado Creative Industries; Business Financing & Incentives division; the Colorado Small Business Development Network; Cannabis Business Office; Colorado Office of Film, TV & Media; the Minority Business Office; Employee Ownership Office; and Rural Opportunity Office. Learn more at oedit.colorado.gov.
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