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gener8tor Announces 50 Companies Participating in Fall Pre-Accelerators Nationwide

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Top-ranked startup accelerator gener8tor announced the participants selected for 10 of its Fall 2020 gBETA cohorts. The 50 startups are located across the country, and represent a wide variety of industries and verticals, including IIoT, Medtech, SaaS and beyond.

The gBETA Pensacola Fall 2020 program is the inaugural program in Pensacola. The five startups were selected from a large applicant pool and represent diversity in geography, industry, demographic and business stage.

gBETA is a free, seven-week accelerator that works with five startups at a time for no fees and no equity. gBETA is a program of nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor. Each cohort is kept small to ensure meaningful engagement with the gener8tor team, network and other resources. Participants receive intensive and individualized coaching and access to    gener8tor’s national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors. The program is designed to help startups gain early customer traction on their product or idea, and establish metrics that can make them competitive applicants for full-time, equity-based accelerators or seed investment.

“To make Pensacola the best place for entrepreneurship to shine, we need to have ways for our area to identify amazing young companies and get them to the next level quickly,” said DC Reeves, Chief Entrepreneur Officer of The Spring. “gBETA has found five companies in our region that have such promise, scalability and passion for its first cohort. We can’t wait to see them shine.”

The 10 Fall programs kicked off on Thursday, Oct. 1 and the startups will work with the gener8tor team over the course of seven weeks to meet mentors, gain customer traction and pitch to investors. Due to COVID-19, the Fall 2020 programs are all being held virtually.

These programs will culminate in gener8tor’s first gBETA Pitch Series, “gener8tor is Grateful  For…,” which will highlight each of the 50 companies via Pitch Night events taking place each night the week before Thanksgiving. This series will be an opportunity to listen and learn more about the companies, network with the founders and other community members, and celebrate everything we have to be thankful for during this time. To view information about the full Pitch Series, click here. Pensacola’s cohort will be highlighted at the Pitch Night on Nov. 18. For more information and to RSVP, click here.

“In the months leading up to the first gBETA Pensacola cohort, there has been considerable community support and a tremendous response from entrepreneurs locally and across the southeast region who are excited about this program,” said Jonathan Kretz, Director of gBETA Pensacola. “Selecting only five teams was difficult, but I am looking forward to working with the cohort of small businesses to positively affect the region through entrepreneurial-based economic development.”

The gBETA program is offered in Pensacola thanks to the support of The Studer Community Institute and The Spring. gBETA Pensacola is held twice per year, with five local/regional companies accepted per cohort to ensure a high level of individualized attention. gBETA works with companies across all industries and business models. Startups interested in applying should contact gBETA Pensacola Director Jonathan Kretz at jonathan@gener8tor.com. For more information or to apply for the program, visit gbetastartups.com/pensacola.

gBETA Pensacola Fall 2020 Cohort

ARGO Cyber Systems’ machine-learning processes protect small and medium-sized businesses against cyber attacks and threats. ARGO Cyber Systems offers customers either a self-service platform or a concierge service to manage their cyber hygiene. ARGO Cyber Systems is a service disabled, veteran-owned small business with over 50 combined years of experience in cyber security. ARGO Cyber Systems’ current monthly revenue is $12K and is growing by 25% month-over-month.

CEO: Jim Rogers | jim.rogers@agocyber.com | argocyber.com

DESHI offers the only vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, medical grade skincare line without harsh toxins. Through a personalized experience, DESHI customizes a modern medical skincare solution for each customer. DESHI is a woman- and minority-owned Florida LLC whose founder has 12 years of skincare experience. DESHI has generated $23K in product-only sales in 2020, with a 55% increase over the last year.

Founder: DeSheri McClure | desheri@deshibeauty.com | deshibeauty.com

National Energy USA’s advanced recycling solutions use proprietary machinery and processes to convert everyday garbage to valuable commodities. National Energy partners with cities and counties to address the growing garbage crisis and save taxpayer dollars. National Energy is a minority-owned Florida-based LLC run by the United States Air Force’s former Chief Garbologist. National Energy has generated $100K in consulting revenues, and its technology has been vetted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

CEO: Dave Robau | DaveR@NationalEnergyUSA.com | nationalenergyusa.com

Qunav offers software solutions to increase the safety and reliability of semi-autonomous and driverless vehicles in GPS-challenged environments (such as tunnels) for both military and commercial applications. Qunav’s technology leverages vehicles’ pre-existing hardware and can be inserted via software-only upgrades. Qunav is a Florida-based LLC with technology that is ready for commercialization after being developed over the last 9 years through multiple small business innovation research grants. Qunav has secured a licensing agreement with a commercial vendor for demonstration purposes.

CEO: Andrey Soloviev, PhD | soloviev@qunav.com | qunav.com

Shipshape Urban Farms designs and manufactures modular, hydroponic farms that make fresh vegetables accessible in urban markets year-round. Shipshape allows urban “agripreneurs” to produce

5.3 acres of crops within a 500-square-foot “smart space” that is digitally and automatically controlled. Shipshape then provides continued support through ongoing training and supplies. Shipshape is a woman- and combat veteran-owned Delaware C-Corp. Shipshape Urban Farms has secured three pre-orders set for delivery by Q1 of 2021, representing $290K in revenue.

CTO: Dale Speetjens | dale.speetjens@shipshapeurnbanfarms.com | shipshapeurbanfarms.com

To view all the gBETA companies in the Fall 2020 cohorts click here.

Welcome gBETA Pensacola

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Nationally-ranked startup accelerator gener8tor will soon launch its first gBETA program in Pensacola, an offering brought to the community by Studer Community Institute as part of The Spring. gBETA Pensacola has hired a program director and is now accepting applications for local startups to participate in the inaugural gBETA Pensacola, Fall 2020 program.
 
gBETA Pensacola is a free accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. The seven-week program will work with five local startup companies at a time. Participants receive intensive and individualized coaching and access to gener8tor’s national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors. gBETA is designed to help startup founders gain early customer traction on their product or idea, and establish and execute on metrics that make them competitive applicants for full-time, equity-based accelerators or seed investment.
 
“At The Spring Entrepreneur Hub, it is our mission to serve Pensacola area entrepreneurs at any point along their entrepreneurial journey,” said D.C. Reeves, Chief Entrepreneur Officer of The Spring. “Through the partnership with gBETA, we are able to bring unprecedented support to local, high-growth potential businesses, and we are excited to see how this program will aid in our efforts of making Pensacola the best place to live and start a business.”
 
gener8tor is proud to have brought on Jonathan Kretz as the Director of gBETA Pensacola. Jonathan is a transplant to Pensacola, coming from Fort Worth, Texas. Jonathan has seven years of experience supporting product development and commercialization efforts for businesses small and large. He also founded an artificial intelligence and machine learning startup. Jonathan will serve as the local conduit between the Pensacola startup ecosystem and the broader gener8tor network.
 
“In just a few weeks of working with the team at The Spring and getting moved into the Pensacola area, I have learned so much about the community and the desire to build strong, sustainable growth for Pensacola entrepreneurship. I look forward to connecting with community members to share more about how the gBETA program supports that mission” said Jonathan Kretz, Director of gBETA Pensacola.
 
Jonathan is available for one-on-one virtual meetings with entrepreneurs in the Pensacola area to get support for their businesses and learn more about applying for the gBETA Pensacola Fall 2020 program. Although only five companies will be accepted to each program, gBETA will offer free community “Lunch & Learn” sessions to the broader public on a weekly basis. Currently, with the COVID-19 pandemic, all programming will be held virtually. When in-person gathering is safe, all gBETA Pensacola programming will be held at The Spring, located in downtown Pensacola.
 
The gBETA program is offered in Pensacola thanks to the support of the Studer Community Institute and The Spring.
 
gBETA Pensacola is held twice per year, with five local companies accepted per cohort to ensure a high level of individualized attention. gBETA works with companies across all industries and business models. Startups interested in applying should contact gBETA Pensacola Director Jonathan Kretz (jonathan@gener8tor.com). For more information or to apply for the program visit https://www.gbetastartups.com/pensacola. The deadline to apply is September 9, 2020.

Apply Today!

Entrepreneur Hub Easily Accessible

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Entrepreneur Hub

Through research, we have found that small business owners and entrepreneurs often struggle to find clear help and guidance throughout their journey. The Spring, with both a virtual home online and physical space at 220 West Garden Street, will serve as the front door to Pensacola’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Spring will operate as a triage that will channel entrepreneurs to the appropriate place within the ecosystem, no matter what their stage or current needs.

Then, by tracking different metrics, we will ensure the ecosystem is providing high-level service to these entrepreneurs, and that the entrepreneurs are a good fit to the ecosystem’s offering.

The Spring will also provide a vibrant place for entrepreneurs to gather, with member-based shared desk space and conference room access to local entrepreneurs.

Venture Mentoring Service (VMS)

The Spring VMS is based on the successful model used by the renowned VMS program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The MIT VMS is tailored specifically to communities looking to bolster entrepreneurship, and we have brought their successful program back to the Pensacola area.

A collaboration of organizations in Pensacola with missions to help small business co-sponsored this effort; The Studer Community Institute, FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, The Gulf Coast Minority Chamber of Commerce, Gulf Power, Pensacola State College and The University of West Florida Center for Entrepreneurship.

The program will offer confidential, team mentoring services to entrepreneurs across the community. By pairing entrepreneurs with 3-4 highly experienced mentors, their ventures are exposed to a variety of very skilled expertise and advice.

Gener8tor Accelerator Program

The Spring will also be partnering with one of the nation’s renowned small business accelerator programs, Gener8tor. Gener8tor offers a program called gBeta that works with 10 companies a year that have high growth potential. They will select 5 companies at a time, twice each year, and work with them to help scale their businesses, prepare their companies for investment and increase jobs. GBeta is currently located in 19 cities, with Pensacola being the first city in the Southeast and one of the smallest markets they have entered.

Studer Community Institute launches The Spring

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Studer Community Institute launches new division to support entrepreneurs

A months-long process to develop a mentoring service for entrepreneurs is just part of a larger, $500,000 investment into helping entrepreneurs in the Pensacola community.

The Studer Community Institute is launching a new division called the Spring Entrepreneur Hub, a three-pronged approach to jump-start those hoping to create or improve their own business. In addition to the mentoring service, which will get underway with its pilot program in the coming months, the Spring will also include a front office and an accelerator program.

“There are a lot of great assets for entrepreneurs already that do a great job in our community, but this was about filling gaps and galvanizing all of these assets and how we can make the complete picture for an entrepreneur or a small business,” said DC Reeves, chief entrepreneur officer for SCI.

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