The Iowa State University Startup Factory has announced the entrepreneurs who will participate in the 17th cohort of the program, an 18-week incubator for startup founders to receive training, resources and mentorship. Since the Startup Factory program started in 2016, it has supported over 146 companies, five of which have exited, a news release said.
The founders will present their progress during the program at a Demo Day event May 20.
The ventures and entrepreneurs in the new cohort are:
- WearLab Solutions: Rachel Eike and Bahar Hashemian Esfahani. WearLab Solutions partners with safety, medical and military apparel manufacturers to address performance gaps by providing research-backed, user-focused design and testing services, enabling companies to deliver superior products that enhance user satisfaction and loyalty.
- My Name Is: Asle Thorson. My Name Is provides a platform to help people with unique or hard-to-pronounce names share their identity and break down communication barriers.
- John Shaw. Shaw is developing software to help communities optimize street and highway safety.
- Isthmus Finance: Jordan Taylor and Isaac Kalapos. Isthmus Finance is artificial intelligence-powered financial planning and analysis software tailored for community banks that provides powerful insights and automates tedious processes.
- Driscoll Restoration: Joe Driscoll and Pamela Retseck. Driscoll Restoration uses innovative technologies and nature-based solutions to improve the health of Iowa’s waterways.
- Portfolio Sight: Ahmed Ismail. Portfolio Sight helps small and medium-size wealth management firms to grow their business by enhancing efficiency and compliance in customer acquisition.
- Saber Chemical: Baker Kuehl, Vivek Garg, Michael Forrester, and Eric Cochran. For sporting goods manufacturers aiming to revolutionize performance and safety, Saber Chemical empowers innovation with cutting-edge additives that supercharge strength, durability, and sustainability without breaking the bank.
- Oravadra: Qun Wang. Oravadra provides easy and safe oral vaccines and drugs for those who hate needles.
- LameScore: Santosh Pandey, Yunsoo Park, and John Wagner. LameScore identifies mobility issues in dairy cows using video and sensors in order to treat the condition early.