EAST LANSING – Spartan Innovations announces the seventh season and summer 2022 cohort of its Conquer Accelerator program. The 10-week accelerator welcomes five teams to its East Lansing program: Detroit Maid, Fleet-Lab, Kibage, KindKatch, and Meknology.
“Year after year, the talent and innovation that comes through the Conquer Accelerator program has been incredible and we’re excited to support these entrepreneurs as they continue their journey,” said Thomas Stewart, program director. “Launching a startup can be exciting, but it also comes with its challenges. With the proper coaching and resources our team provides, I am confident these five companies will succeed.”
Designed to support both newer and established companies, the Conquer Accelerator program supports startups by providing $20,000 in funding from Red Cedar Ventures, access to mentors, access to follow-on funding, and other essential resources. The program is hosted and managed by Spartan Innovations, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Michigan State University Foundation.
In addition to receiving $20,000 in seed funding, selected startups receive tailored mentorship from leaders within their respective industries, a collaborative working space, as well as access to a network of angel and venture investors. Once companies move on from the accelerator, they become part of Red Cedar Ventures’ portfolio and begin the process of moving out of start-up phase and into scaling up and growth phases.
The Conquer Accelerator program has helped launch 35 startups since 2015. These companies have gone on to raise over $31 million in additional funding. Twelve of the companies have been led by underrepresented founders and to date, there have been 5 successful exits.
2022’s Conquer Accelerator East Lansing Teams:
Detroit Maid is an online marketplace for on-demand cleaning that includes cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces using EPA approved, hospital-grade cleaning solutions
Fleet Lab supplements traditional school bus systems with specially equipped electric vans to make k-12 student transportation safer, more effective and more equitable.
Kibage specializes in caregiving technology that brings families, professional caregivers, and remote monitoring together to increase the quality of care for loved ones
KindKatch empowers brands to achieve personalized marketing and storytelling at scale through their suite of content collection, curation, and sharing tools
Meknology’s focus on making a positive impact on people and the environment, is currently creating wastewater and water desalination technologies using hybrid, solar and other low carbon impact solutions
For more information about the teams, visit www.msufoundation.org/conquer-accelerator. Conquer Accelerator can be found on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Learn more at www.msufoundation.org/conquer-accelerator.
