Start Co. and ZeroTo510 graduating teams to present business plans to investors, entrepreneurs and community leaders
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 3, 2015) – Start Co. and ZeroTo510 recently announced that their graduating startup teams will collectively present their companies to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including community leaders, at Demo Day Aug. 13. Demo Day is the culmination of both organizations’ summer startup training and mentoring program.
Each team will pitch their business on stage in the ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel in Downtown Memphis to celebrate progress to date and to seek additional funding. The event will begin at 2:00 p.m. and conclude with a reception at Felicia Suzanne’s at 5:30 p.m. More than 200 attendees are expected, ranging from successful entrepreneurs to regional and community leaders and investors from throughout the Mid-South. Both programs are highly recognized; Start Co. was granted membership in the Global Accelerator Network and ZeroTo510’s unique medical device accelerator was named one of the top 15 accelerators in the U.S. by the Seed Accelerator Rankings Project.
“It is always a proud moment for us to see our graduating cohort showcase their work and share their experiences with investors and the entrepreneurial community,” said Eric Mathews, Start Co. CEO and founder. “We invest a great deal of time and energy each year to strengthen our programming, and we are delighted that many of our teams already have existing customer bases and have been focused on refining their business models during the program.”
Start Co. operates three accelerator programs, Seed Hatchery, Upstart and Sky High. Each is an intensive summer program created for entrepreneurs with high-growth startup ideas; this year’s graduating cohort included 10 teams from a diverse set of B2B companies. ZeroTo510, operated by Memphis Bioworks, is a mentor-driven program created to help medical device entrepreneurs navigate the startup process, refine their business models and achieve the FDA’s 510(k) pre-market notification filing. This year’s graduating cohort included four teams. Both programs are integral parts of EPIcenter and initiatives of the Greater Memphis Accelerator Consortium (a program funded by Launch Tennessee and the State of Tennessee). Teams from both groups benefitted from the expertise of about 100 business and community leader mentors who lent their time and expertise to the founders.
“Because of the globally significant medical device industry here in Memphis and ZeroTo510’s connections to decision-makers and mentors, these companies have met milestone after milestone and are ready for the next phase of growth,” said Allan Daisley, President of ZeroTo510 and director of entrepreneurship and sustainability at Memphis Bioworks. “We’re confident that this group of companies will impress the audience and shine a light on the Memphis entrepreneurship ecosystem, and we’re thrilled to team up with Start Co. to showcase all of the companies graduating from Memphis business accelerators.”
Teams will present their business plan as well as progress to-date in developing their networks, launching products, and sourcing strategic and corporate partnerships.
Start Co. and ZeroTo510 partners invested time or resources during the programs providing monetary or professional service support for the programming and cohort teams. Joint partners include EPIcenter, Launch Tennessee, Innova, and Baker Donelson. Additional partners include:
- Start Co.: Archer Malmo, Amazon Web Services, American Airlines, AutoZone, ventures, Mosaik Solutions, PayPal Braintree, Softlayer, The Marston Group and Wolf River Angels.
- ZeroTo510: Memphis Bioworks, MB Venture Partners, Waller, Metropolitan Bank, Billians’ HealthDATA, Memphis Regulatory Consulting and guru.
To find out more information or to register for a media pass, please contact Liz Hamilton at lhamilton@archermalmo.com, (901) 260-4168 or Jessica Taveau at jtaveau@memphisbioworks.org, (901) 866-1435.
About Start Co.:
Start Co. is a nationally recognized nonprofit 501(c)(3) venture development organization based in Memphis, Tennessee, that relentlessly builds founders and companies, promoting entrepreneurship for everyone with a focus on digital startups. Start Co. is a member of the Global Accelerator Network and aims to advance Memphis’ economic growth through entrepreneurship. The organization is supported by partners including American Airlines, Archer Malmo, Baker Donelson, The Marston Group, Mosaik Solutions and Softlayer (an IBM company). More information can be found at neverstop.co.
About Memphis Bioworks Foundation:
Memphis Bioworks is the Mid-South’s go-to organization for creating companies, jobs and investments in bioscience and sustainability. A visionary community leader, Memphis Bioworks has a well-established record of sparking new levels of economic vitality by investing in entrepreneurs, building state-of-the-art labs and facilities, and training the next generation of workers. For more information, visit www.memphisbioworks.org, Facebook at www.facebook.com/MemphisBioworks or follow @MemphisBioworks on Twitter.