Announcing the Techstars Chicago Accelerator Class of 2020
Jan 27, 2020
Editor’s Note: Due to global circumstances, Demo Day information indicated in this blog post may be inaccurate. As definitive demo day dates and information are determined, updated info will reflect on the main program page.
After joining Techstars Chicago last year, we set out to showcase the power of Chicago as a major technology hub. For months we connected with hundreds of founders across the country, with an emphasis on companies located in the Midwest.
The founders we’ve selected for Techstars Chicago 2020are passionate, embody a #GiveFirst approach in their leadership, are deeply connected to their customers, and are committed to leveraging Chicago’s unique startup ecosystem. They’re fun, hardworking, and incredibly diverse. We couldn’t be more excited for you to meet them.
Over the next 13 weeks, I’ll be posting updates on Twitter and YouTube so you can see (and at times participate in) our journey. Whether these founders choose to bootstrap or raise millions, we need your support to help evolve each of these 10 companies into sustainable businesses we’re all proud to claim as Chicago-made.
Our Demo Day is on April 21st, 2020. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more information and registration. With no further ceremony, here are the companies we hope you’ll join us in welcoming to the Techstars worldwide network!
Bottlecode
Bottlecode blends technology with human expertise to help men discover personal care solutions that best suit their unique goals.
Bottlecode is an online platform that aims to provide personal grooming solutions by curating and selling the best products to each individual man, while focusing on education and expert guidance to help men stick to the healthy habit. Men need a trusted curation source to navigate a crowded ecosystem of brands. Bottlecode is building the solution that addresses the real job to be done: giving guys confidence that they are doing the right things to take care of themselves.
Havoc Shield
A fast and effective cyber security program for startups.
Havoc Shield is a fast and effective cyber security program specifically for startups, a bit like what Clerky or Gust did for company incorporation. Startups get a professional action plan and are guided, step-by-step, through a prioritized security program, provided with accelerating tools and automation along the way, all of it presented in an experience that’s actionale by non-security types.
Pairi
Pairi makes it easy for freelancers to get booked through social media and manage their business on-the-go via text messaging.
Pairi helps freelancers build a professional booking website within minutes and get booked for their services directly through social media like Instagram. Pairi’s software saves time and earns more money for freelancers by automating repetitive business logistics many of them face like scheduling, payment, appointment reminders, travel fees, and more so they can focus on their passion and be able to serve more clientele on their own time, anywhere they choose.
NutriSense
A personalized, AI powered, nutrition coach.
NutriSense is an A.I. powered, personalized nutrition coach that helps users select a diet that works with their unique physiology. NutriSense enables users to change their habits and reduce the likelihood of developing metabolic disorders (such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease), shed unwanted pounds and optimize athletic performance. NutriSense leverages Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) technology that provides users with real time biometric data while expert nutritionists teach users how to interpret that data.
Elite Personal Chefs
Mobile App that provides in-home dining and personal chef experiences
Elite Personal Chefs is a revolutionary mobile application platform for high level hospitality industry professionals to provide culinary experiences for an array of clients. Unlike traditional restaurants, EPC allows culinary professionals to choose their own schedule, sell tickets to events, create menus, and set custom pricing.
ReelCrafter
ReelCrafter is a service to create and share trackable audio demo reels.
Reelcrafter is an online tool for artists to easily create personalized, single web pages to showcase their work to potential employers. Demo reels are shared via custom web links, and artists can track detailed listening activity for each shared link on their ReelCrafter dashboard. Artists can then apply insights from existing listening metrics to continually refine their pitch with each reel sent.
Visual Feeder
Dynamic ad-campaigns on vacant storefront windows using projection mapping.
Visual Feeder provides a marketplace that connects landlords with an opportunity to monetize their vacant space by projecting branded visual experiences on their windows space. Using projection mapping technology, Visual Feeder offers brands the ability to display dynamic, quality content that engages their consumers while providing key metrics to track performance and ROI.
ToDoolie
The easiest way to hire local students to help with outdoor tasks.
ToDoolie is a marketplace where homeowners can hire local students for hourly tasks such as yard work and household maintenance.
GoNanny
Building the future of childcare management, logistics, and safety.
GoNanny is a B2B SaaS Platform revolutionizing the childcare industry. What Mindbody did for the wellness industry, GoNanny is doing for the childcare industry. Currently the platform provides two distinct product offerings: 1. Trademarked Care Rides Platform: A fully automated platform providing safe pickups and drop offs executed by the childcare center’s staff members. 2. GoNanny Safe – the gold standard employee vetting system for childcare professionals.
Contract Cloud
Making government procurement simpler through design and accessibility.
Contract Cloud’s intelligent, automated workflow and content management platform reduces the time spent on each solicitation by 45%. Contract Cloud streamlines the contracting process through an intuitive, guided user experience. With a concept similar to TurboTax, Contract Cloud’s guided experience will allow users to answer plain english questions and get help from real experts, building their proposal or RFP with the responses as they go. Using AI/ML, Contract Cloud provides intelligent recommendations, suggestions for content using natural language processing, shortcuts, and document generation.