We're thrilled to introduce you to the remarkable cohort of startups that make up the Fall 2023 class here at Techstars Tulsa! Each year, the caliber of applicants amazes us, but this year has truly surpassed expectations. After an exhaustive selection process, we've distilled countless entries down to 12 exceptional companies with underrepresented founders. These are the dreamers, builders, and innovators who are poised to redefine industries and craft tomorrow's solutions.

True to our industry agnostic thesis, this season's batch showcases a vibrant tapestry of industries: B2B SaaS, fintech, health tech, gaming, social media, travel, and sustainability.  I am immensely proud to be at the helm of this accelerator program during such an exciting time, and our entire program team & partners are looking forward to contributing to the rapid growth of these companies over the next 3 months in Tulsa.

The fundraising environment is still challenging, but difficult market conditions are when stars are born.  Over the next few months, these startups will be mentored, challenged, and supported as they prepare their companies to scale.

“Tulsa’s startups are driving job creation and economic growth throughout the region. We are thrilled to partner with the outstanding team at Techstars and community organizations to grow the number and quality of startups in Tulsa," said Programs Director for OCAST Dan Luton. "Together, we will ensure that the region’s best and brightest startups have access to the supports, mentorship, education and investments they need to become pillars of Oklahoma’s economy.”  

The focus of our program remains customers and capital, and we’re always on the lookout for mentors and investors who can help support these companies on both fronts.  

Meet the companies:

Carbonext - Using a novel circularity strategy, Carbonext is utilizing fossil fuels and biomass as feedstocks for a large-scale deployment of graphene with a significant cost advantage.

EDUrain - For off-campus student housing providers, seekers, and the universities they serve, EDUrain provides a platform to help match student housing supply with demand, while also helping students navigate what is most likely their first independent housing experience.  

Equility - The financial sector is an inter-connected, low fault-tolerance industry, where accuracy is everything. Equility provides financial professionals with the ability to automate the financial review/audit with their independent and unbiased, automation platform.

gamr - For gamers that struggle to monetize their skills due to lack of opportunities, gamr provides proprietary tech for gamers to monetize their skills with the device of their choice.

GO See The City - Food waste reduction platform that connects surplus food from restaurants to consumers & nonprofits.

Katapulte - For CPG businesses with interest from big box retailers like Walmart but lack the upfront capital to fulfill purchase orders due to lengthy payment terms from the retailers, Katapulte provides receivables financing for SMB's to scale.

MobilityZ Health - Digital Health SAAS for orthopedic specialists to diagnose and screen patients with musculoskeletal(MSK) injuries with a telehealth visit. 

NaviSavi Travel - Discover, book and share your travel experiences through short, authentic videos.

Prep Intel - Connecting colleges with the ideal students by eliminating conventional recruitment methods, empowering colleges to perform targeted student searches efficiently.

Torque360 - One stop SaaS solution for auto repair shop management.

Vyrtual - For founders that do not have the time/resources to recruit a team, Vyrtual provides a turnkey C-Suite and ops management.

XCredit - For students looking to build credit for the first time, XCredit awards their timely payment request fulfillments between peers on its platform towards the establishment of credit.

The Build in Tulsa Techstars program is made possible through our continued partnership with the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Build In Tulsa, and Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology. 

About Techstars: Founded in 2006, Techstars began with three simple ideas—entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to enable every person on the planet to contribute to, and benefit from, the success of entrepreneurs. In addition to operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, we do this by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. www.techstars.com.

About Build in Tulsa: The mission of Build in Tulsa is to close the racial wealth gap in America by catalyzing the creation of multi-generational Black wealth through tech and entrepreneurship. Rooted in the legacy of Black Wall Street, Build in Tulsa is committed to providing opportunity for minority entrepreneurs who have historically been denied resources and funding.

About OCAST: The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) was established in 1987 by the Oklahoma legislature. OCAST’s vision is continued growth and vitality through facilitating collaboration between state government, universities, start-up companies and established large-scale firms to develop an entrepreneurial environment that supports technology-based economic development

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