FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 29, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT Caitlin S. Lubelczyk Vice President of Marketing and Communications 508.753.2924 ext. 231 clubelczyk@worcesterchamber.org
WORCESTER CHAMBER ANNOUNCES 2023-2024 STARTUP WORCESTER COHORT
WORCESTER, MA – The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Venture Forum and WorcLab, is proud to announce the twelve local companies that have been competitively selected to the 2023-2024 cohort of the entrepreneur pre-accelerator program StartUp Worcester. They will be part of the program from September 7 till May 2024.
These twelve companies were selected by a review committee based on the innovative nature and scalability of their business proposal and how relevant the program benefits would be for their needs. Each participant will receive benefits in the form of a free year of membership to the Chamber, free space at the downtown coworking space WorcLab, and access to possible funding and mentor networks with Venture Forum. They are also paired with a mentor from SCORE and a mentor who is a StartUp Worcester alum or local entrepreneur. This year’s program is the first time that StartUp Worcester will offer workshops led by experts in topics such as customer validation, branding, sales, intellectual property, venture fundraising, leadership, and pitch preparation. There will be seven workshops, taking place once a month. The participants will graduate in May 2024 in an event open to the community.
StartUp Worcester is made possible by Presenting Sponsor Berkshire Bank, Supporting Sponsor Better Business Bureau, Supporting Sponsor SCORE, and Supporting Sponsor Iandoli Desai & Cronin P.C.
This year’s StartUp Worcester participants are:
• ChillyDoggy – Joshua Davidson – A prototype portable AC unit that prevents harm to pets in hot vehicles and other closed spaces.
• Enduring Wishes – Vladimir Charlemagne – A secure and private digital vault for storing important estate planning documents and family memories.
• Exo-Lytics – Daniel Zimmer – A proprietary method for manufacturing exosomes, extracellular vesicles that can carry proteins used to heal and improve other cells.
• External Ventilator Pod – Rachel Chan – A medical device to help obese patients with underlying lung issues during hospital stays.
• EzBusy – David Echavarria – AI-powered, no-code web design.
• GMG Mobility Systems – William Gunn – Hybrid powertrains for the trucking industry using EV-inspired design that reduce logistics costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Gompei’s Analytica – Danilo Ruberti – Expert data analysis using proprietary software services for businesses and organizations to make informed decisions.
• Pananosis Laboratories – Joseph Yu – Better early detection methods for cancer screening using single molecule sequencing.
• Pedi-U – Daniel Salvadore – An app for transforming a child’s inpatient experience in hospitals by creating meaningful connections and bonds between patients.
• SnowGo – Christian Lopez – An app that makes it easy for homeowners and business owners to order professional snow removal services.
• TabsApp – Christopher Villamarin – An app that optimizes the bar experience for both business owners and customers by ordering drinks online.
• Trivflic – Thomas Haigh – Gamified online trivia and social media platform designed to build a sense of community.
David Sullivan, the Director of Economic Development & Business Recruitment at the Chamber who acts as the StartUp Worcester Coordinator, is proud of the high quality of entrepreneurs in the program. “In this ninth year of StartUp Worcester, we took a leap of faith and did something different, adding new workshops and an enhanced mentorship program,” said Sullivan. “The number of quality applications clearly validated the need for this.”
Zachary Dutton, Executive Director of Venture Forum, believes there is a growing need for resources for scalable startups in the Worcester area. “Over the past year Venture Forum engaged with entrepreneurs of all types to identify where the gaps are in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Dutton, referring to a six-month planning process which led to a $200,000 award from MassTech Collaborative for Venture Forum to strengthen the regional startup ecosystem. “It led us to discover that while we have a breadth of resources in the area for entrepreneurs, there is a need for better coordination and synergy. There should be a clear path from idea formation to pre-seed to success for startups while staying local in the Worcester area, and StartUp Worcester is the starting point for many of our local entrepreneurs.”
Tyler Ojala, Community Manager at WorcLab, is happy that the downtown Worcester co-working space continues to be the hub of StartUp Worcester. “We are glad to partner with the Chamber and Venture Forum for the ninth year in a row to provide a vibrant co-working community for these entrepreneurs in the heart of Worcester,” said Ojala. “At WorcLab, they will have everything they need in terms of technical equipment, a place to call home, and peer-to-peer learning.”
More information is available at: https://www.worcesterchamber.org/startup-worcester/.
