CoBuilders, now in its third year of working with partners around the state to accelerate startup businesses in Mississippi, launched its 2024 accelerator with an eight-company cohort this August. Each founding team participates in our 12-week development process, working with mentors on their product, business plan, and deck, preparing to pitch to investors and the public in November during Pitch Day.
Pitch Day opens the Accelerate Conference, celebrating its 25th Anniversary in downtown Jackson. All participants will receive $25k in the form of a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) agreement that they will use throughout the cohort to prepare to pitch to investors on November 19th.
Launch Day took place on August 20th at the Millsaps College campus in Jackson. The programming started with the Think Big Challenge, followed by our founders introducing themselves and their companies, sharing their visions and what drives them. With Innovate Mississippi CEO Tony Jeff as their guide, the founders learned what it truly means to be “investor-ready,” diving into startup stages, risk management, and the art of crafting a compelling pitch. Our founders gained invaluable insights into telling their stories effectively and documenting their validation efforts. We also covered the detailed schedules, expectations, and resources available through the CoBuilders Portal, ensuring our founders are well-equipped for success.
A special thank you to Anne Turner for her comprehensive session on corporate governance, a crucial aspect for any emerging startup. We were fortunate to have Todd Stauffer from Changemaker Media Services capturing videos and Jimmy Burrell from Aeroslim Photography documenting the day with photos. It was an exhilarating start to an exciting journey!
Here’s a look at the 2024 CoBuilders cohort members, each of whom came to us from a partner organization around the state.
Food Scout
Founders: Jacoby Broadnax and Damion Dehart
Location: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Supporting Partner: Tupelo Community Development Foundation and Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development Foundation
Description: Food Scout is an innovative app consolidating the top five food delivery services—DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub, Postmates, and Seamless—into a single platform. With access to over 300,000 restaurants across more than 300 cities, Food Scout allows you to seamlessly search and compare delivery fees, estimated delivery times, and menu prices. Say goodbye to the hassle of switching between multiple apps; with Food Scout, you can place your order effortlessly from one convenient app.
Medhub AI
Founder: Brandon Newton
Location: Jackson, Miss.
Supporting Partner: The Beanpath
Description: MedHub AI is a mobile application that leverages artificial intelligence to provide comprehensive diet, fitness, and medication tracking. It seamlessly integrates with electronic health record (EHR) platforms, offering an additional AI-based medical faculty for personalized medicine.
Home Tours Pro LLC
Founders: Jeff Smith and Mark Davis
Location: Brandon, Miss.
Supporting Partner: The Meeting Place
Description: Home Tours Pro automates the request, collection, editing, and delivery of real estate media using various proprietary technologies and systems. This streamlined process significantly reduces the cost and time required to deliver media to customers.
ConnectU App
Founders: Jack Maloney and Dillon Scott
Location: Starkville, Miss.
Supporting Partner: Mississippi State University Entrepreneurship and Outreach Center
Description: ConnectU App is a mobile networking app designed to connect nano influencers with local businesses, particularly in college towns. The goal is to make influencer marketing more cost-effective by becoming the industry’s cost leader, offering nano influencer marketing at significantly lower rates than micro or macro influencers. Additionally, ConnectU enables users to profit from their social media outreach, creating a mutually beneficial platform for influencers and businesses.
BloomTech
Founder: Melissa Bloom
Location: Clinton, Miss
Supporting Partner: Higher Purpose Co.
Description: BloomTech focuses on automating registration within the healthcare sector. They have developed a healthcare revenue tool that allows doctors to register patients seamlessly and accurately with minimal interaction. This tool effectively addresses two key challenges: submitting claims to incorrect payers and incomplete patient billing profiles.
Fitness Figure
Founder: Quinn Crothers and Connor Bell
Location: Madison, Miss.
Supporting Partner: Mississippi State University – Vicksburg
Description: Fitness Figure combines digital motivation with fitness through its innovative mobile app. The platform features a range of dynamic digital companions designed to engage users and help them maintain consistency in their fitness routines.
Hello Dank
Founders: Jordan Cain and Corey Ferraez
Location: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Supporting Partner: Mississippi Polymer Institute
Description: Hello Dank is transforming the medical cannabis wholesale industry with an online platform that uses AI and data analytics to guide inventory purchasing decisions.
Automatic Mosquito Ovitrap LLC
Founder: Nate Venarske
Location: Starkville, Miss.
Supporting Partner: Mississippi State University – Vicksburg
Description: Automatic Mosquito Ovitrap offers a device designed to dispense granular, mosquito-targeting insecticide into containers, ditches, and other areas where mosquitoes are prevalent.
These eight startups represent Mississippi’s innovative, entrepreneurial spirit. Each addresses a unique challenge and opportunity within its respective industries. Supported by our CoBuilders partners throughout the state and guided by their mentors, these companies have a chance to nail the basics, get critical seed funding and build toward successful companies that impact their fields.
