gener8tor

We’re proud to celebrate the inaugural gALPHA earth cohort showcase in Sylacauga, Alabama 🚀 On February 12, founders took the stage to share what they’ve built through this program, joined by family, friends, and community leaders who continue to show up for entrepreneurship in East Alabama. The event marked a meaningful step forward for a region building new pathways for early-stage founders. Congratulations to the 11 companies and 14 founders who brought their ideas to life and shared their progress with the community.Programs like this reflect the momentum building across East Alabama and the power of local ecosystems to support founders at the earliest stages. Thank you to @SAFESylacauga, and the Sylacauga Chamber of Commerce for supporting this program and creating space for founders to grow. We also appreciate the @SylCitySchools for hosting us in their facility. 👉 Apply now for our Summer 2026 cohort at gener8tor.com/galpha/earth #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Innovation #EastAlabama

🚀 Built something in the lab with real world potential? gener8tor helps researchers and university innovators turn promising discoveries into real world companies. University Recruitment Initiative, powered by gener8tor, supports academic founders who are ready to explore the path from research to commercialization and real world impact. 👉🏻 Who should apply to gener8tor? • Faculty • Postdocs • Graduate students • University spinout teams If you are developing new ideas, technologies, or research with the potential to become a startup or create meaningful impact beyond campus, University Recruitment Initiative can help you take the next step. Through mentorship, education, and connections to investors and the broader gener8tor network, participants gain the support needed to move from discovery to company building. Great ideas don’t have to stay in the lab. With the right guidance and network, they can grow into ventures that make a difference. If your work deserves to go beyond campus, this is where it starts. Learn more and apply: gener8tor.com/uri

🚀 gener8tor Founder Series Spotlight: Stacey Halum, Vibrant Therapeutics Stacey Halum is the Founder and CEO of Vibrant Therapeutics, an Indianapolis-based biotech company developing a biologic platform to treat muscle paralysis by enabling nerve regrowth to affected muscles. Built on over 20 years of research, the company is working to bring a new therapeutic approach for neuromuscular disease to patients. Stacey joined the IU Health Incubator at IU LAB Pre-Accelerator Powered by gener8tor in Indianapolis last fall. Through the program, she gained a crash course in the business side of building a biotech company, learning how to translate scientific work into a clear narrative for investors while tapping into a deep network of mentors, founders, and industry leaders. Today, Vibrant Therapeutics is an early stage company laying its foundation, building a pipeline of biologic candidates, and actively engaging with investors as it prepares for its next phase of growth. 💡 Stacey Insight “The lessons you get from other founders are priceless. If you can learn from someone else’s mistakes, it will save you a ton of time and energy.” 📣 Stacey’s Ask Stacey is looking for a lead investor in biotech to anchor the company’s round and help bring additional participating investors together. Thank you to our partner IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences (IU LAB) at @IndianaUniv for supporting founders like Stacey and helping bring innovative ideas to life. 🎥 Watch the full interview here: youtu.be/F-iygtOMHKI

More momentum. More connections.⚡ When universities partner with gener8tor, inventors build and scale faster. Through Lightning Rounds, we’re creating direct pathways between university innovators and the investors and industry leaders who can help move their ideas forward, faster. This week, our Lightning Rounds created the space for inventors to have meaningful conversations. This week alone: 🤝 323 connections 🚀 246 startups 💼 115 investors And we’re just getting started!

💡 University Recruitment Initiative alumni highlight: Dev Ahluwalia, MadMatcher. Dev Ahluwalia is the Founder and CEO of MadMatcher, a data infrastructure startup helping organizations identify when different records refer to the same real-world entity across complex and inconsistent datasets. As a member of the CS NEST Spring 2026 cohort, Dev worked to strengthen the company’s transition from research to real-world application, advancing MadMatcher’s scalable entity matching capabilities while expanding opportunities to collaborate with design partners across industries. Dev shares: “MadMatcher came out of over a decade of research at @UWMadison's Magellan group, where we saw firsthand how messy and inconsistent real-world data can be. CS NEST helped us better understand how our technology fits into real workflows and how to bring it to teams that need accurate, reliable data matching at scale.” Initiatives like “University Recruitment Initiative (URI)” and programs like “CS NEST” support founders at this critical stage, helping translate research into practical solutions, refine product direction, and build momentum with early partners and customers. Thank you to UW-Madison CDIS, @WARF_News, Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau, Justin Hines, and Lewis Sheats for supporting CS NEST and helping make this program possible. Learn more about MadMatcher: madmatcher.ai

🚀 gBETA alumni have officially surpassed $1B in cumulative funding. What started in 2015 as a single accelerator program in Madison, Wisconsin has grown into a global network of 35+ programs supporting founders around the world. From first steps to global growth, this milestone reflects the real impact these companies are making in their communities and beyond. ⚡gBETA by the numbers: • 1,500+ companies supported • 290+ cohorts • 6,900+ jobs created We’re incredibly grateful to every founder, mentor, partner, and team member who made this possible, and excited for everything still to come.

🚀 3 gBETA Indiana programs officially kicked off! On March 5, gBETA AgBioScience Indiana, gBETA Future of Mobility Indiana, and Main Street NEXT officially launched their Winter 2026 cohorts. Over the next weeks, 7 founders and business leaders will work closely with mentors, investors, and the gener8tor team to refine strategies and accelerate growth. ⚡gBETA AgBioScience supports early stage startups advancing innovation across agriculture and bioscience. ⚡gBETA Future of Mobility supports early stage startups building technologies that are transforming transportation, delivery, infrastructure, and mobility systems in Indiana and beyond. ⚡Main Street NEXT is designed for established business owners navigating key growth inflection points, typically companies generating between $5M and $10M in annual revenue. Through hands-on programming, mentorship, and connections to investors and partners, each program helps participants strengthen their businesses and prepare for the next stage of growth. Thank you to the @Indiana_EDC for supporting these programs and helping make this work possible. We also appreciate our partners who helped support gBETA AgBioScience: Ag Alumni Seed, @AgriNovusIN, @BecksHybrids, @CLAconnect and Barnes & Thornburg LLP for supporting gBETA programs and helping make this program possible. We’re excited to see what these cohorts build next. 🚀

Congratulations to Maypall on their continued growth and momentum since completing the gBeta program. 🚀 @MayPall_Inc is developing a swallowable mouthwash powered by maple-derived compounds designed to help prevent tooth decay and dental biofilms. Since completing the gBETA Wyoming program, the team has sold 3,500 bottles across all 50 states, with sales doubling each quarter and 1,500 bottles sold in the most recent quarter alone. Their research has also been recognized by organizations including the American Dental Association, Dental Tribune, and the American Society for Microbiology. We’re excited to support founders building science-backed solutions and bringing university research to market. Programs like gBETA help startups refine their strategy, connect with investors, and identify opportunities for growth as they scale. Shoutout to founders Lucas Wall, Leo Gomelsky, and the entire Maypall team for the progress they’ve made from university research to a growing startup. We’re excited to see their continued impact in oral health innovation. Thank you to @Microsoft and The Business Studio at @LCCC for making gBETA Wyoming possible and supporting the growth of early-stage founders in Wyoming! Read more about their research and recent coverage: asm.org/press-releases… adanews.ada.org/huddles/maple-… us.dental-tribune.com/news/maple-pol…

Applications are open for the March gener8tor Skills cohort in Warren and Youngstown, Ohio. 🚀 We're grateful to partner with The Raymond John Wean Foundation to expand access to no-cost, career-focused skills training for residents across the Mahoning Valley and help more individuals build pathways to meaningful careers. Through this partnership, local residents can access: ⚡ Industry-recognized certifications ⚡ Career coaching and professional development support ⚡ Job placement resources that connect talent with local employers Participants can choose from four specialized career tracks: - Project Management (CAPM/PMP) - IT Fundamentals & Customer Service (CompTIA Tech+) - Data Analytics (CompTIA Data+) - Office Administration Professional (Microsoft 365) Ready to take the next step in your career? Application deadline: March 20 Apply now: #programs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">gener8tor.com/skills/warren-…

gener8tor 50 State Countdown: Nebraska 📣 This week, we’re highlighting Nebraska, where founders across the state are building and growing companies with the support of gener8tor and a strong network of ecosystem partners. Through early stage programming and collaboration with local leaders, we’re helping entrepreneurs access the resources, mentorship, and connections needed to turn innovative ideas into thriving businesses. Nebraska Startups Impact: 🚀 65 companies supported 💰 $27M raised 💼 231 jobs created gener8tor Skills Impact: 👤 174 participants 🎓 124 graduates 📊 71% graduation rate 💼 57 placements 📈 43% placement rate Special thanks to our Nebraska partners including @InvestNebraska, @NUtechVentures, @NIC_Innovates, @SelectLincoln, @LincolnChamber, @NelnetCareers, @Ameritas, Assurity, @Linc_Comm_Fdn, Nebraska Angels, PGSA, @omaha100, @OmahaChamber, @UnionBankTrust, @cquencehealth and the @DevelopNebraska for helping make this work possible. Together, we’re supporting founders, creating jobs, and strengthening Nebraska’s innovation ecosystem while expanding opportunity across the state. #nebraska #startups #founders #innovation #gener8tor

🚀 gener8tor Founder Series Spotlight: Adam Martin, Qwyn AI Adam Martin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Qwyn AI, an Indianapolis-based company building an AI investigator purpose-built for pharmaceutical manufacturing teams. The platform helps investigate manufacturing deviations so medicines can be produced and released safer and faster, addressing a challenge that contributes to drug shortages around the world. Adam joined the inaugural IU Health Incubator at IU LAB Pre-Accelerator Powered by gener8tor, a life sciences focused program designed to support innovation in the pharma ecosystem. Through the program, Qwyn AI benefited from gener8tor’s mentor swarms and network of industry leaders, connecting with pharma executives and CDMO operators who helped refine the company’s messaging, validate the problem space, and open doors to meaningful conversations that continue to move the business forward. Since launching in 2024, Qwyn AI has built and released its first product, secured a pre-seed round backed by @M25vc, @conneticVC, 5Kfunds and signed its first enterprise customer. The team is now focused on expanding enterprise relationships across the pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem. 💡 Founder Insight “Narrow, narrow, narrow. When you think you’ve narrowed enough, narrow again. You can’t do everything well, but you can do one thing really well.” 📣 Founder’s Ask Adam is looking to connect with the team at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and other investors interested in AI innovation in life sciences and pharmaceutical manufacturing. 🎥 Watch the full interview here: youtu.be/G8YNFjq2nws A special thank you to our partner IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences (IU LAB) for making this program possible and for supporting innovative founders building the future of energy.

Congratulations to @WalkWiseFamily, a @gener8tor 1889 portfolio company based in Fargo, on being featured on North Dakota Today. 🚀 WalkWise helps seniors maintain independence through a smart mobility aid attachment that monitors activity and provides caregivers and families with insights to support safer mobility and better outcomes. The company recently announced an exciting partnership with @drivemedical, a global leader in durable medical equipment, expanding access to this innovative solution. We’re proud to support WalkWise as part of the gener8tor 1889 venture fund and excited to see the team continue building impactful solutions for aging populations.👏 Shoutout to Peter Chamberlain, Founder and CEO, and the entire WalkWise team for this milestone and the work they are doing to advance mobility and independence for seniors. Watch the full segment: lnkd.in/gYk98M8u

The path to a new career often starts by building on the skills you already have. 🚀 In this episode of our gener8tor Skills Impact Series, Anne Nadel sits down with Bryan Badley, Critical Facilities Engineer at Lunavi based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to discuss how technical training helped him transition toward a career in data center operations. Bryan spent years working in residential and commercial property maintenance, troubleshooting mechanical issues and keeping facilities running smoothly. Over time, he realized he was especially drawn to the technical infrastructure side of the work. After completing the gener8tor Skills Accelerator and earning his CompTIA Tech+ certification through the IT Fundamentals track, Bryan was able to combine his hands-on maintenance experience with new technical knowledge. That combination helped him move into a role working inside a data center environment. A few highlights from the conversation: 👉 Structured technical training helped reinforce Bryan’s problem-solving skills while introducing him to the IT side of infrastructure 👉 Weekly coaching and connections with peers and guest speakers created accountability and community throughout the program 👉 The program helped build confidence and clarity about the direction he wanted to take in his career 👉 Combining existing maintenance experience with IT training opened the door to a new role in data center operations Bryan’s message is simple: the more fully you commit to learning opportunities, the more you gain from them. 🎥 Watch the full conversation: youtu.be/DEANMWJUSkY

Congratulations to gBETA Bronze Valley alum City Detect on raising $13M in Series A funding! City Detect is an Alabama-founded govtech company using AI to help cities identify code violations, property deterioration, and safety hazards at scale. Their PASS AI™ platform delivers thousands of actionable insights daily work that would typically take code enforcement officers weeks to complete manually. The round was led by @Prudence_VC, with continued participation from @lasolasvc, @ZealVC, @KnollVentures, and Atlanta Seed Company. We're excited to support City Detect and proud to see strong investor backing fueling their expansion as they help more cities close the gap between what they can assess and what's actually happening in their communities. Shoutout to Gavin Baum-Blake and the entire City Detect team as they continue scaling a solution that brings data-driven visibility to municipal code enforcement and urban management. Read the full story in TechCrunch: lnkd.in/eaQRVnFr

gBETA Round Rock’s first cohort has officially graduated. 🚀 Last August, the Round Rock City Council and Round Rock Chamber made a bold investment in the city’s innovation economy by launching Round Rock’s first startup accelerator. Today, we’re already seeing the impact: 💰 $500K+ in startup funding 📈 10%+ revenue growth 🤝 Customers doubled for some companies In just seven weeks, founders built meaningful momentum demonstrating what can happen when a community intentionally invests in entrepreneurship and supports founders building the future. Programs like gBETA are about more than helping startups refine their pitch decks. They are about building long-term economic engines, supporting founders, creating jobs, and strengthening the innovation ecosystem in communities across the country. Excited to see what comes next for these founders and for Round Rock’s growing startup community. 📺 Story from KXAN: kxan.com/video/round-ro… Round Rock Leasing, @TexasEDC, Texas Economic Development Corporation, @TexasEconDev, @texasgov, @roundrock.

Congratulations to gBETA Medtech alum Q-rounds on raising $1.8M in venture funding! 🚀 Q-rounds is a Minneapolis-based healthtech company transforming hospital rounds with a real-time virtual queue that alerts nurses, patients, and families exactly when to arrive. With plans to expand to at least 12 hospitals, their software helps reduce unpredictable wait times and improve communication at the bedside. We’re excited to support Q-rounds and proud to see strong investor backing fueling their continued growth and expansion.⚡ Shoutout to Michael Pitt, Co-Founder and CEO, and the entire Q-rounds team as they continue scaling a solution that brings clarity and coordination to hospital care. We’re excited to see their impact grow across hospitals nationwide. Thank you to our gBETA Medtech partners @bostonsci, @BARDA, @MayoClinic, @MedicalAlley, @UEL_MN, @UMNMDC, @UMNews and University of Minnesota, Technology Commercialization. Learn more about Q-rounds: q-rounds.com Read the full article: tcbmag.com/new-app-tackle…

🚀 gener8tor Founder Series Spotlight: Seth Terry, New Day Hydrogen This week we’re featuring Seth Terry, Co-Founder and CEO of New @DayHydrogen, a Colorado-based energy company developing small-scale, on-site hydrogen systems that produce, compress, and store hydrogen for vehicle fueling and other localized uses. New Day Hydrogen is focused on making early energy transition infrastructure more affordable and practical for centralized fleets. Seth first participated in gBETA Colorado in spring 2022, followed by the U.S. Venture Sustainability Accelerator Powered by gener8tor in Appleton in spring 2023. He credits the programs with sharpening the company’s focus and messaging, helping the team define actionable milestones, engage early fleet stakeholders, and secure critical validation at a pivotal stage. Beyond strategy, the investment capital was essential in helping the company maintain momentum and keep the team together. Seth also highlights the strength of Colorado’s ecosystem, from its public universities to its national labs and state-level climate commitments, as an important foundation for building in the clean energy space. 💡 Seth’s insight “Cash is king. You can bootstrap for a while, but ultimately survival depends on early validation and attracting the investment that keeps the vision alive.” 📣 His ask New Day Hydrogen is seeking equity investors who understand long-term infrastructure plays, as well as fleet partners and local stakeholders in Fort Collins, Denver, and Pueblo who want to support practical, affordable hydrogen deployment. A special thank you to our partner, @USVentureInc, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade and Colorado Global Business Development for making this program possible and for supporting innovative founders building the future of energy. 🎥 Watch the full interview here: youtu.be/itOT1ICECoE

Big news for our portfolio company, Oro 🚀 Oro, an alum of the @NM_Financial Powered by gener8tor, was just featured in the @journalsentinel for its innovative approach to helping employees become homeowners through workplace benefits. As highlighted in the article, Oro enables employers to offer homeownership support as part of their compensation packages from down payment assistance and mortgage support to financial counseling and credit-building tools. At a time when housing affordability feels out of reach for many, Oro is helping companies: • Attract and retain talent • Reduce financial stress for employees • Make homeownership more accessible • Align employee wellbeing with long-term wealth building George Fatheree and Mikiesha R. Mayes built Oro with a mission to close the wealth gap by expanding access to homeownership and it’s powerful to see that vision gaining national attention. Employer-sponsored homeownership shouldn’t be a perk for the few; it can be a scalable benefit that creates real financial impact. We’re proud to support the Oro team as they redefine what modern employee benefits can look like. Learn more Oro: oroimpact.com Read the full article: usatoday.com/story/money/pe… #gener8tor #Fintech #EmployeeBenefits #Homeownership #StartupGrowth

Workforce development is not a short game, it is a long term investment in people and possibility. In this episode of our gener8tor Skills Impact Series, Anne Nadel sits down with Amber Rahn, Director of Workforce and Regional Engagement at Innosphere, to discuss how a strategic partnership is helping build a future ready workforce across Colorado and Wyoming. Amber was focused on one critical challenge: how do you rapidly upskill adults into high demand technical roles while reaching rural and tribal communities that often lack access to training? Through the Skills Accelerator pilot, learners trained from home, gained marketable technical skills aligned with real employer needs, and stepped into stronger career pathways. For Amber, the impact goes beyond job placement. It is about economic mobility, community vitality, and long term transformation. A few themes from the conversation: 👉 High quality training delivered quickly, with flexibility for rural learners 👉 Strong employer alignment so skills match real workforce demand 👉 Coaching and wraparound support that turns training into transformation 👉 A ripple effect where one learner’s success shifts families and communities Amber’s message is clear: stay curious about where your talent can come from, the most capable future technologists may simply need access. 🎥 Watch the full conversation: youtu.be/uRSA7vkRtVU

We were honored to welcome @teamworkdoc, Executive Director of @InnovateAL, to our recent All-Staff meeting to share a snapshot of Alabama’s growing startup momentum. Through gener8tor’s partnership with Innovation Portal, we’ve seen firsthand that high-growth entrepreneurship can thrive in Alabama. When founders have access to the right infrastructure, mentorship, and capital, innovation accelerates and ecosystems grow stronger. Companies from our 2024 cohorts have raised over $10M, reflecting intentional ecosystem building and strong local leadership. Since then, we’ve partnered on accelerator programs across Alabama, expanding access to capital, mentorship, and growth opportunities throughout the state. Together with our partners across Alabama, we're building stronger startup ecosystems and driving lasting economic impact statewide. Alabama Startup Impact: 🚀 305 Companies Supported 💰 $136M raised 💼 1,146 Jobs Created