Written by Jonathan Richter
The Atlanta Techstars 2022 cohort was full of impressive and special startup companies. And behind each of these companies are incredible founders who are hard at work creating innovative tech solutions.
In this roundup article, you’ll hear directly from these founders as they share their #1 game-changing tip or strategy they got from the Techstars program.
In addition, you can find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the Techstars program, and how it helps startups and entrepreneurs succeed.
Here’s the question I asked each founder:
What’s the single best thing you got from Techstars that’s helping you grow your business today?
Simply click on any of the company names below to jump to their response or scroll down to read more.
Atlanta Techstars Companies – 2022
- Cookonnect
- Illoominus
- Medsembly
- Metric Mate
- My Panda
- Palmly
- Payvmnt
- Reveler
- Whirl
- Varkn
- Techstars FAQ
Cookonnect
“Techstars helped Cookonnect unlock smart experimentation. We knew the importance of experimenting but having a more structured approach helped us to quickly unlock new user acquisition models that are driving results today!”
Cookonnect is connecting users with in-home meal services from great, unestablished chefs.
You can follow Cookonnect on:
Illoominus
“No company is built on their own – they are surrounded by a strong community as their secret weapon. Techstars allowed us to do just that. Through the program, we were paired with 5 great mentors who became extensions of the Illoominus team and allowed us to revisit our go-to-market strategy, value analysis, and prepare for our raise.”
Illoominus is a data analytics platform designed to activate DE+I strategies
You can follow Illoominus on:
Medsembly
“The best thing I got from Techstars that is helping me grow my business today is the capital. As a Black founder, we often get overlooked and lack the financial resources to propel our companies.
The investment from Techstars allowed me to fully commit and focus on my business to really move the needle.”
Medsembly bridges the gap between healthcare hopefuls and healthcare heroes.
You can follow Medsembly on:
Metric Mate
“Focusing our go to market strategy was the biggest thing we got from the Techstars program. If you are trying to solve a problem for everyone, you solve a problem for no one.
With the Metric Mate T.A.P. Technology, we have a solution that can apply to many different verticals. But businesses are built on focused, strategic effort. During this program we moved from an amazing product to a ground breaking business.”
Metric Mate turns any strength training equipment into smart equipment, allowing users to track their fitness progress.
You can follow Metric Mate on:
My Panda
“Confidence and belief in myself and my business. The Techstars and Cox teams have created a community and environment where we could test our ideas and challenge ourselves.
The guidance of our mentors, the support of the other entrepreneurs and the knowledge and content provided by the guest speakers were woven together to create a strong foundation to build upon.
I know that we do not need to walk this path alone, we will always have the Techstars community to lean on as the business grows and our needs shift and change.”
Busy, ambitious women use the My Panda℠ app to connect to trusted local assistants.
You can follow My Panda on:
Palmly
“The community aspect of Techstars has been a blessing for my co-founder Rita and I. The knowledge share and support we have experienced with other founders in our class has been a game changer.
The #1 strategy we at Palmly learned from Techstars is to break down our business into its most impactful essence, use existing technology to verify our assumptions, and iterate based on customer feedback and data trends.
This has helped us immensely when thinking about our product and its primary feature that we want to be great at. This strategy reduced the noise of additional features for our product as well as helped cash flow.”
Palmly is the mobile platform where people build community and grow in faith together
You can follow Palmly on:
Payvmnt
“For us at Payvmnt, Techstars allowed us to think lean and experiment faster. We are now able to move faster and cheaper to validate our assumptions. Also the network and doors being opened up has been unparalleled for us.”
Payvmnt is last mile logistics technology company.
You can follow Payvmnt on:
Reveler
“It’s hard to pick out just one thing that Techstars has helped with, as it has boosted all aspects of Reveler, but the one that has been priceless is the immediate connection and network to the Atlanta startup ecosystem.
Being heavily connected and knowing so many in the space, especially as a startup that came from out of state, gives us an expert to contact in any aspect of the business and is only just an email or slack message away.
The #givefirst mentality rings true in all aspects of those we’ve met through Techstars.”
Reveler connects fans & venues to create digital sports experiences IRL.
You can follow Reveler on:
Whirl
“Techstars helped us significantly refine the business strategy and vision for Whirl. By providing us with a rich network of mentors and advisors, Techstars provided us with valuable feedback by connecting us to veterans of the tech industry.
Graduating from Techstars is just the beginning for Whirl, and I’m grateful for the Techstars experience that helped define our core business values, vision, and base.”
Whirl is a matchmaking platform where anyone can set up their single friends.
You can follow Whirl on:
Varkn
“The single best thing I believe I got from Techstars was my mentors. They constantly helped with providing ideas anytime I got stuck with a problem.
The team at Techstars Atlanta is just so super awesome. I am glad I went through the program at Atlanta and not anywhere else.
One of the best strategies I got out of Techstars was, test with potential customers before building anything. It is really important because you can end up building a solution that does not even solve your customer’s problem.”
Varkn is a valet hailing service app. We provide an on-demand airport parking service.
You can follow Varkn on:
Techstars FAQ
- What is Techstars?
- Where is Techstars located?
- How much does Techstars invest?
- What is Techstars Startup Weekend?
- What is Demo Day?
- Where can I apply to Techstars?
What is Techstars?
Techstars is an internationally recognized startup accelerator. The three-month program helps entrepreneurs boost their early-stage businesses and product development efforts through education and funding.
In addition to funding and fundraising opportunities, companies get access to expert mentors and a broad network of corporate partners, investors, and alumni.
Where is Techstars located?
Techstars has accelerator locations worldwide, including:
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Baltimore, MD
- Berlin, Germany
- Birmingham, AL
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Chicago, IL
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- Dublin, Ireland
- Fort Worth, TX
- Indianapolis, IN
- Lagos, Nigeria
- London, UK
- Los Angeles, CA
- Miami, FL
- Minneapolis, MN
- New York, NY
- Oak Ridge-Knoxville, TN
- Oakland, CA
- Oslo, Norway
- Paris, France
- Philadelphia, PA
- Portland, ME
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- San Diego, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Singapore, Singapore
- St. Paul, MN
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Torino, Italy
How much does Techstars invest?
Techstars invests up $120,000 in each of their accelerator startups. They provide $20,000 up front, and purchase the right to 6% of the company’s Fully Diluted Capital Stock at the Qualified Financing.
This investment is reinforced by their Equity Back Guarantee.
You can find more information about the Techstars funding and investment policies by reviewing the Techstars investment terms.
What is Techstars startup weekend?
Techstars Startup Weekend is a three-day program where entrepreneurs in cities around the world have the opportunity to connect with other startup founders.
When you attend Startup Weekend, you also have the chance to learn and improve specific topics or skills that can help take your idea or business to the next level.
You can find an upcoming Techstars Startup Weekend event by clicking the link above.
What is Demo day?
Demo Day is another popular Techstars event where mentor-sponsored accelerators showcase their business in front of a live audience.
You can attend Demo Days virtually or in-person. Check their website often for upcoming Demo Day events.
Where can I apply to Techstars?
You can apply to Techstars on their accelerator application page. The page allows you to filter by accelerator status, location, and industry.
Techstars offers types of accelerator programs, each of which lasts for 3 months:
- Virtual Program
- Hybrid program
- In Person Program
Applications open six times a year, and usually stay open for 12 weeks. Once the application period closes, there is a review period that typically lasts for about 7 weeks.
Conclusion
Special thanks to each of the founders for contributing to this round-up interview!
Each of these founders has a special skillset, and a big vision for their product or service.
Whether it was the mentorship, funding, go-to market strategy, analytics, or researching trends, each of them were able to have a game-changing experience in the Techstars accelerator program.
Which of these interview responses resonates with you the most? Leave a comment and let us know!