Startups  May 5, 2025

5 startups picked for gBETA Greeley accelerator

GREELEY — Five companies have been chosen for the second round of the City of Greeley’s startup accelerator, gBETA Greeley.

The free seven-week program run by national venture firm gener8tor helps early-stage startups grow, connect with mentors and seek funding. This cohort of founders will receive one-on-one coaching and access to gener8tor’s national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors.

Selected for the spring 2025 cohort were:

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  • Agroptics: Founded by Ahmed Hashem, the company helps farmers save water and boost crop yields by using real-time data and weather forecasts. Their irrigation technology adapts to environmental changes and is designed to reduce water use by up to 15%.
  • Seedling Biosystems: Founded by Brian DeDecker, Maya Nelson and Simon Kalmus, it has modified soybeans to produce rare ingredients for cosmetics, food and medicine, including baby formula proteins and skin-care squalene.
  • Blooming Health Seed & Feed: Founded by Sean Short, it uses a network of upcycled feed mills to provide fresh sprout-based chicken feed to small farms and backyard chicken keepers. The company has sold more than 2,000 pounds of feed and is introducing insect-powered blends.
  • Orion Labs: Founded by Sara Jennings, it developed Saiph, a traffic safety system that predicts movements of road users. This technology is designed to help cities avoid accidents and has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
  • Factorem: Founded by Alexandra Zhang, it leverages artificial intelligence to streamline custom part manufacturing for industries such as aerospace and robotics, reducing lead times from three months to 12 days. With $755,000 in sales, it is experiencing 300% year-over-year growth.

More than 30 startups from across Colorado applied. The five selected were chosen for their growth potential, plans to expand in Greeley and ties to key local industries such as agriculture, manufacturing and energy. 

“I’m excited to work with these five amazing teams,” Allie Reitz, gBETA Greeley program manager, said in a prepared statement. “Their ideas are changing their industries. After great results from our first cohort last fall, we can’t wait to grow that success this spring.”

The program is made possible by a partnership with the City of Greeley.  

“We’re excited to bring this program to Greeley — not just because we support new ideas, but because we believe great businesses can start and grow right here,” Derrek Jerred, economic development manager for the City of Greeley, said in a news release. “This program helps local talent succeed and gives our economy a strong boost. Plus, it’s one more reason to be proud of Greeley.”

At the end of the gBETA program, the startup founders will pitch their companies to investors, community partners and the public at a showcase event from 4 to 6 p.m. June 12 at the Atlas Theater, 709 16th St. in Greeley.

The global venture firm and accelerator network gener8tor supports startups, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. It partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate accelerator programs and conferences in more than 45 communities across 25 states and territories and three countries.

The non-equity accelerator gBETA facilitates the growth of early-stage companies through a network-driven program. It supports five startups per cohort, requires no fees for startups and takes no equity. Since launching in 2015, gBETA accelerator alumni have raised more than $796 million in capital and created more than 4,800 jobs across the United States and Canada.

For more information about gBETA or to apply to be part of a future cohort, visit the gener8tor gBETA website. To get involved as a mentor or community partner, contact Allie Reitz at allie.reitz@gener8tor.com.

Five companies have been chosen for the second round of the City of Greeley’s startup accelerator, gBETA Greeley.

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