Banking & Finance  January 28, 2016

MergeLane accelerator unveils 2016 class of women-led startups

BOULDER – MergeLane, the Boulder-based startup accelerator geared toward women-led companies, has unveiled its second class of 10 startups that will go through the 12-week program.

MergeLane’s second cohort begins Monday and culminates with an April 21 demo day in front of investors and community members at Boulder Theater.

Similar to other accelerators like Techstars, Mergelane offers startups $20,000 in seed funding and the intensive mentorship programming in exchange for 6 percent equity. Startups can also receive up to $100,000 in additional funding at the end of the program.

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The program is unique in that it requires the entrepreneurs to be in Boulder only for the first two weeks and final one week of the program, with an optional week in the middle. The rest of the program is run remotely.

Elizabeth Kraus, left, and Sue Heilbronner co-founded the MergeLane accelerator.
Elizabeth Kraus, left, and Sue Heilbronner co-founded the MergeLane accelerator.

Last year’s initial MergeLane class of eight startups has raised more than $11 million in funding.

Founded by Sue Heilbronner and Elizabeth Kraus, MergeLane took in two more startups this year after reaching out to more than 1,500 companies as part of its prescreening process.

“The quality of our class is a clear reflection of the success of our first year and our aggressive outreach,” Heilbronner said in a release.

The 10 startups in this year’s class include:

Alchemie, Ann Arbor, Mich: Teaches complex science subjects like organic chemistry through mobile-enabled, game-based learning.

Atlas Vault, Greenville, S.C.: Provides software as a service solutions that enable enterprises to ensure consistent cyber-security solutions at every level of the supply chain.

Ballot Ready, Chicago: Makes a mobile-enabled online voter guide that aims to increase participation in local elections.

Cabsolutely, Memphis, Tenn.: Makes a tech platform that gives traditional taxi companies the ability to provide drivers and riders a seamless experience on par with leading ride-sharing companies.

Cloudforest Software, Boulder: Enables building professionals to make design and construction decisions at the ideation stage of commercial projects.

Globig, Boulder: Provides tools, experts and information to help growing companies enter new international markets more efficiently.

Hatch Marketing Plans, Boulder: Makes a marketing planning tool that helps businesses quickly gather ideas, forecast outcomes and demonstrate ROI across all media channels.

Healthiest, San Francisco: A content and commerce platform for alternative medicine.

LittleLane, San Francisco: Gives parents access to the best kids events and activities in their area and the opportunity to explore a variety of new options seamlessly with LittlePass.

Startwise, San Francisco: A crowdfunding platform that enables socially responsible companies to raise capital from new investors in exchange for revenue-sharing participation.

BOULDER – MergeLane, the Boulder-based startup accelerator geared toward women-led companies, has unveiled its second class of 10 startups that will go through the 12-week program.

MergeLane’s second cohort begins Monday and culminates with an April 21 demo day in front of investors and community members at Boulder Theater.

Similar to other accelerators like Techstars, Mergelane offers startups $20,000 in seed funding and the intensive mentorship programming in exchange for 6 percent equity. Startups can also receive up to $100,000 in additional funding at the end of the program.

The program is unique in that it requires the entrepreneurs to be in Boulder…

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