Techstars

Techstars Central LLC, founded in 2006 and based in Boulder, Colorado, operates as a startup accelerator and venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage technology-oriented companies. It specializes in a mentorship-driven accelerator program, selecting ten startups each summer to participate in a three-month incubation period, offering funding of $120,000 in exchange for equity. Techstars invests primarily in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, and IoT, while avoiding investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and local service-oriented businesses. In addition to its primary accelerator, Techstars has various specialized programs, including those focused on music, retail, mobility, and social impact, with global reach extending to regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm prefers taking minority stakes, typically between six and ten percent, without seeking board representation or investor rights. Techstars has built a robust network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners to foster innovation and growth within its portfolio, which includes over 1,000 companies with a significant collective market capitalization.

Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Max Kelly

Managing Director of Techstars London

Lesa Mitchell

Managing Director

Vijay Tirathrai

Managing Director

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in Virginia

Naborforce

Series A in 2022
Naborforce connects older adults to a network of “Nabors” for social engagement and on-demand support for errands, transportation, and help around the home. The company aims to promote productive, connected and joyous aging and living. It is inspired by JOY to promote engaged, productive and connected aging and living. Naborforce was founded in 2018.

FLUIX

Pre Seed Round in 2022
FLUIX AI specializes in advanced cooling solutions and energy optimization for data centers, workstations, and gaming PCs. The company offers a unique Turbulent Liquid Cooling system that addresses the challenges of heat management, enhancing thermal efficiency and allowing for higher sustained processing speeds. By integrating and optimizing various facility systems, including HVAC and IT, FLUIX enables significant energy savings, reportedly up to 40% for critical infrastructure. Their innovative cooling system monitoring software further enhances operational efficiency by connecting industrial and information technology systems, ultimately reducing wasted cooling energy and improving overall performance for manufacturers and server providers.

Scout Space

Funding Round in 2021
SCOUT was founded in 2019 following the loss of one of our own satellites to unknown causes. Our mission is to give spacecraft the ability to see and avoid potential threats. SCOUT's passive sensor hardware and control software enhances resolution of space objects by up to 1000 times, enabling on-board vision, detection, and avoidance. The company is a Techstars and venture-backed startup, and a 2020 MassChallenge Gold Winner. For more information, visit www.scout.space.

WorkChew

Seed Round in 2021
WorkChew Inc. owns and operates a marketplace platform that connects mobile and remote workers to workspaces in restaurants and hotels in Chicago, Illinois, Virginia; and Washington, District of Columbia. The company's platform provides co-working spaces with food, drinks, and tools such as wifi. WorkChew Inc. was founded in 2018 and is based in Washington, District of Columbia.

Poppy Flowers

Seed Round in 2021
Poppy Flowers, founded in 2019 and based in Washington, D.C., operates as a tech-enabled marketplace within the $13 billion flower industry. The company specializes in retailing flowers and customized floral products specifically for weddings and event decorations. Poppy Flowers manages a floral supply chain that connects customers with independent floral designers and directly sources high-quality flowers from reputable farms. Through its online platform, Poppy Flowers aims to simplify the purchasing process for customers by leveraging technology, including machine learning and computer vision, to enhance the overall customer experience. The company is committed to providing affordable floral solutions while supporting local designers.

Humanitru

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Totem Systems, Inc. develops software solutions for nonprofits. The company offers a supporter engagement platform which allows nonprofits to manage constituents, donations, volunteers, and events in one location. It offers platform for constituent management, donation management, volunteer management, and events management. It also offers mobile-friendly donation, volunteer, and event pages. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Richmond, Virginia.

Avenify

Funding Round in 2021
Avenify is a peer-to-peer lending platform enabling nursing students to finance their education debt-free with no credit score or signer required. Students can apply for up to $15,000 in income-based financing and owe nothing until they're employed. In addition to financing, Avenify provides career services and additional financial assistance to ensure students live happy, financially-healthy lives. Avenify was established in 2018 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

WorkChew

Pre Seed Round in 2020
WorkChew Inc. owns and operates a marketplace platform that connects mobile and remote workers to workspaces in restaurants and hotels in Chicago, Illinois, Virginia; and Washington, District of Columbia. The company's platform provides co-working spaces with food, drinks, and tools such as wifi. WorkChew Inc. was founded in 2018 and is based in Washington, District of Columbia.

Naborforce

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Naborforce connects older adults to a network of “Nabors” for social engagement and on-demand support for errands, transportation, and help around the home. The company aims to promote productive, connected and joyous aging and living. It is inspired by JOY to promote engaged, productive and connected aging and living. Naborforce was founded in 2018.

Poppy Flowers

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Poppy Flowers, founded in 2019 and based in Washington, D.C., operates as a tech-enabled marketplace within the $13 billion flower industry. The company specializes in retailing flowers and customized floral products specifically for weddings and event decorations. Poppy Flowers manages a floral supply chain that connects customers with independent floral designers and directly sources high-quality flowers from reputable farms. Through its online platform, Poppy Flowers aims to simplify the purchasing process for customers by leveraging technology, including machine learning and computer vision, to enhance the overall customer experience. The company is committed to providing affordable floral solutions while supporting local designers.

Spyn Pay

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Spyn Pay, Inc. is a fintech startup based in Arlington, Virginia, founded in 2019. The company aims to transform the credit card industry by providing a unique credit card that helps users manage their finances effectively and avoid debt. Its innovative product automatically pays bills after each purchase, allowing customers to maintain better control over their spending. By enabling more frequent bill payments, Spyn Pay empowers individuals to have a clearer understanding of their financial situation, distinguishing it from traditional payment systems.

MeeteR

Pre Seed Round in 2019
MeeteR, Inc. is an event management platform founded in 2016 and based in Tysons Corner, Virginia. The company specializes in developing custom event solutions that enhance the event experience for brands by increasing attendance and driving ticket sales. MeeteR's platform facilitates the entire event lifecycle, allowing brands to manage the event approval process, oversee ticket sales, and integrate with CRM and marketing tools. By streamlining operations related to ticketing, registration, and payment processing, MeeteR aims to empower organizations to effectively engage their audiences and achieve their event objectives.

AnswersNow

Pre Seed Round in 2018
AnswersNow, Inc. develops a mobile platform for parents and caregivers of autistic children. Its platform provides educational resources, behavioral learning tools, and on-call expert support. Its platform supports step-by-step learning process of the child; as well as enables saving, storing, and monitoring the child's progress. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Richmond, Virginia.

Softcube

Seed Round in 2018
SoftCube LLC specializes in transforming customer data into actionable sales strategies for businesses. Founded in 2014 and based in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, the company provides a range of services including personalized product recommendations for online retailers, tailored email campaigns, and customized push notifications and SMS. These offerings are designed to enhance customer engagement and increase average order sizes by suggesting products that align with customer interests. Additionally, SoftCube pioneers in the automated production of video advertisements, creating dynamic content that showcases products in use and distributing these ads across platforms such as AdWords, Facebook, and Instagram. The company serves a diverse clientele across various sectors, including wholesale, consumer electronics, fashion, toys, health and beauty, and home and gardening.

theCut

Pre Seed Round in 2018
theCut, LLC. develops a mobile platform for barbers and clients. It enables discovering clients, book appointments, and finding barbers and barbershops. The company was incorporated in 2016 and is based in Dale City, Virginia.

Buddy

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Buddy Technology, Inc. provides insurance brokerage services. It offers health and accidental insurance plans to customers who are involved in risky outdoor activities. The company also operates an online platform to provide the insurance plans and interact with customers. Buddy Technology, Inc. was founded in 2017 and is based in Richmond, Virginia.

AnswersNow

Pre Seed Round in 2018
AnswersNow, Inc. develops a mobile platform for parents and caregivers of autistic children. Its platform provides educational resources, behavioral learning tools, and on-call expert support. Its platform supports step-by-step learning process of the child; as well as enables saving, storing, and monitoring the child's progress. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Richmond, Virginia.

mesur.io

Seed Round in 2018
mesur.io Inc. develops devices and solution to tackle the under-served market of measuring and monitoring in-ground environment data. Its product includes Earthstream. It also develops an analytics platform that analyzes the data, combines it with other sources of information, such as soil and plant databases, satellite imagery, and weather forecasts to make recommendations. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Danville, Virginia.

mesur.io

Seed Round in 2018
mesur.io Inc. develops devices and solution to tackle the under-served market of measuring and monitoring in-ground environment data. Its product includes Earthstream. It also develops an analytics platform that analyzes the data, combines it with other sources of information, such as soil and plant databases, satellite imagery, and weather forecasts to make recommendations. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Danville, Virginia.

Distil, Inc.

Series C in 2016
Distil, Inc. develops and provides cloud security software designed to protect websites from malicious bots and automated attacks. The company's solutions effectively block a wide range of threats, including web scraping, competitive data mining, form spam, click fraud, and account takeovers, ensuring that legitimate users are not affected. Distil's offerings include Bot Defense for API, which safeguards API servers that support public-facing websites and mobile applications, and the Distil Analyst Managed Service, which incorporates human intelligence into bot mitigation efforts. Serving enterprise customers globally, Distil aims to make the web more secure by enabling users to automatically block 99.9% of malicious traffic. Founded in 2011 and based in Arlington, Virginia, Distil Networks, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Imperva, Inc. since 2019.

Painless1099

Convertible Note in 2016
Painless1099, LLC is an innovative online service designed to assist freelancers and independent contractors in managing their tax obligations. Established in 2015 and based in Richmond, Virginia, the company offers a smart bank account that segregates 1099 income from taxes, automatically withholding the appropriate amounts based on individual personal information such as dependents and filing status. This system simplifies tax preparation by depositing the remaining funds directly into the user's personal checking account. In addition to tax management, Painless1099 provides a portable benefits package that includes automated health insurance payments and assistance in setting up a SEP IRA to support retirement savings. By offering these features, Painless1099 enables freelancers to enjoy benefits typically associated with traditional employment while maintaining control over their self-employment journey.

PierceMatrix

Seed Round in 2016
PierceMatrix (formerly PierceGTI) is a security product company that reduces your risk chain exposure. It shares information on known threats, learns about new threats and provides reports, dashboards and targeted recommendations to help you secure your network. Pierce uses artificial intelligence developed for the US military and a unique distributed architecture to optimize your security processes so you spend less time researching security problems and more time fixing security problems! Pierce uses the information gathered from thousands of client networks and industry data sources to detect botnets, attackers, compromised machines, and corporate IP reputation. The Pierce dashboard and reports provide you with up-to-the minute security intelligence on your risk chain.

Card Isle

Seed Round in 2015
Card Isle Corporation designs and sells personalized boutique greeting cards through automated kiosks. It also operates an online platform that enables users to design cards online. The company serves the customers and employees of hospitals, airports, military bases, universities, convenience stores, and corporate campuses in the United States. It also sells greeting cards online. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Blacksburg, Virginia.

RangeForce

Seed Round in 2015
RangeForce delivers the most effective way to level-up and accurately assess the skills of your cybersecurity team through a scalable, interactive, on-demand cyber-skill training platform and integrated cyber range.

Distil, Inc.

Series B in 2015
Distil, Inc. develops and provides cloud security software designed to protect websites from malicious bots and automated attacks. The company's solutions effectively block a wide range of threats, including web scraping, competitive data mining, form spam, click fraud, and account takeovers, ensuring that legitimate users are not affected. Distil's offerings include Bot Defense for API, which safeguards API servers that support public-facing websites and mobile applications, and the Distil Analyst Managed Service, which incorporates human intelligence into bot mitigation efforts. Serving enterprise customers globally, Distil aims to make the web more secure by enabling users to automatically block 99.9% of malicious traffic. Founded in 2011 and based in Arlington, Virginia, Distil Networks, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Imperva, Inc. since 2019.

Nudge, LLC

Seed Round in 2015
Nudge, LLC is a digital health coaching software provider that focuses on aggregating healthcare data for health professionals, coaches, and providers. The company offers the Nudge Coach platform, which simplifies the integration of data from various fitness applications and wearables, enabling users to share insights with their clients effectively. Founded in 2011 and based in Richmond, Virginia, Nudge, LLC allows users to track their health metrics, including hydration, nutrition, exercise, and sleep, ultimately calculating an overall health score. The platform also facilitates social comparisons among users, enhancing motivation and accountability. Nudge, LLC was previously known as Beene & Gambill, LLC before rebranding in January 2012. The company was acquired by Salveo Diagnostics, Inc. in August 2019.

Borrowing Magnolia

Convertible Note in 2015
Borrowing Magnolia is a tech-based company, powered by fit tech and cutting edge 360-degree interactive imaging technology that enables brides to purchase or borrow their dream designer wedding dresses. The portal enables married women to sell or rent their designer wedding dresses and helps brides buy or borrow designer bridal gowns. Borrowing Magnolia also partners with boutiques in a B2B platform to help boutiques expand their market for dresses they no longer want or are able to sell in their store. Founded in 2014, Borrowing Magnolia is based in Charlottesville, Virginia.

General Atomics

Seed Round in 2015
General Atomics develops technology solutions for defense, energy, and transportation applications worldwide. The company’s defense solutions comprise aircraft launch and recovery systems; energy solutions include nuclear energy, nuclear fuel, and alternative energy; transportation solutions comprise magnetic levitation (maglev) systems, including urban maglev systems, electromagnetic cargo conveyors, and high-speed maglev systems as well as linear motor systems for civil transportation applications. General Atomics also offers unmanned aircraft systems and sensors as well as training and support services. In addition, the company offers various commercial products, including capacitors, terminal automation products, radiation monitoring systems, deicing products, diagnostic enzymes, electrostatic oil separator systems, nirvana storage products, fusion technology products, research reactor control systems, products for cleanroom services, and algae for aquaculture as well as integrated drive systems, power inverters, and permanent magnet motors. Further, it offers education outreach programs, which include elements that support fusion energy research and development as well as general science education. General Atomics was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in San Diego, California with additional offices in Newport News, Virginia; Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Washington, D.C. It also has operations in Berlin and Dresden, Germany; Adelaide, Australia; Denver, Colorado; Los Alamos, New Mexico; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Tupelo, Mississippi; Ogden, Utah; and Washington, District of Columbia.

Card Isle

Seed Round in 2015
Card Isle Corporation designs and sells personalized boutique greeting cards through automated kiosks. It also operates an online platform that enables users to design cards online. The company serves the customers and employees of hospitals, airports, military bases, universities, convenience stores, and corporate campuses in the United States. It also sells greeting cards online. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Blacksburg, Virginia.

LawnStarter

Convertible Note in 2014
LawnStarter, Inc. is an online marketplace that connects consumers with lawn care professionals to provide a variety of lawn maintenance services. Founded in 2013 and based in Austin, Texas, the company offers essential services such as mowing, edging, and blowing, as well as specialty services like fertilization, aeration, over seeding, and leaf removal. LawnStarter facilitates instant quotes for consumers, allowing them to easily schedule lawn care services from insured professionals. The company's innovative algorithms utilize geolocation data to optimize route density for lawn care providers, enhancing their efficiency and profitability. LawnStarter operates in multiple states, including Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

LawnStarter

Pre Seed Round in 2014
LawnStarter, Inc. is an online marketplace that connects consumers with lawn care professionals to provide a variety of lawn maintenance services. Founded in 2013 and based in Austin, Texas, the company offers essential services such as mowing, edging, and blowing, as well as specialty services like fertilization, aeration, over seeding, and leaf removal. LawnStarter facilitates instant quotes for consumers, allowing them to easily schedule lawn care services from insured professionals. The company's innovative algorithms utilize geolocation data to optimize route density for lawn care providers, enhancing their efficiency and profitability. LawnStarter operates in multiple states, including Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Distil, Inc.

Series A in 2014
Distil, Inc. develops and provides cloud security software designed to protect websites from malicious bots and automated attacks. The company's solutions effectively block a wide range of threats, including web scraping, competitive data mining, form spam, click fraud, and account takeovers, ensuring that legitimate users are not affected. Distil's offerings include Bot Defense for API, which safeguards API servers that support public-facing websites and mobile applications, and the Distil Analyst Managed Service, which incorporates human intelligence into bot mitigation efforts. Serving enterprise customers globally, Distil aims to make the web more secure by enabling users to automatically block 99.9% of malicious traffic. Founded in 2011 and based in Arlington, Virginia, Distil Networks, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Imperva, Inc. since 2019.

Distil, Inc.

Seed Round in 2013
Distil, Inc. develops and provides cloud security software designed to protect websites from malicious bots and automated attacks. The company's solutions effectively block a wide range of threats, including web scraping, competitive data mining, form spam, click fraud, and account takeovers, ensuring that legitimate users are not affected. Distil's offerings include Bot Defense for API, which safeguards API servers that support public-facing websites and mobile applications, and the Distil Analyst Managed Service, which incorporates human intelligence into bot mitigation efforts. Serving enterprise customers globally, Distil aims to make the web more secure by enabling users to automatically block 99.9% of malicious traffic. Founded in 2011 and based in Arlington, Virginia, Distil Networks, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Imperva, Inc. since 2019.

Nveloped

Seed Round in 2012
Nveloped was founded by Tripp Parker.

Heyo

Pre Seed Round in 2012
Heyo, Inc. specializes in providing tools for businesses to create mobile-optimized marketing campaigns across various platforms, including social media and web. Founded in 2010 and based in Blacksburg, Virginia, the company offers a range of products such as customizable templates, promotions, and drag-and-drop builders to facilitate the creation of Facebook contests, sweepstakes, and landing pages. By enabling businesses to design engaging Facebook fan pages and campaigns, Heyo helps enhance customer interaction and drive traffic, leads, and sales. With a focus on mobile accessibility, Heyo also offers solutions that allow businesses to communicate messages directly to customers' mobile devices. As of 2016, Heyo operates as a subsidiary of Votigo, Inc.

Distil, Inc.

Seed Round in 2012
Distil, Inc. develops and provides cloud security software designed to protect websites from malicious bots and automated attacks. The company's solutions effectively block a wide range of threats, including web scraping, competitive data mining, form spam, click fraud, and account takeovers, ensuring that legitimate users are not affected. Distil's offerings include Bot Defense for API, which safeguards API servers that support public-facing websites and mobile applications, and the Distil Analyst Managed Service, which incorporates human intelligence into bot mitigation efforts. Serving enterprise customers globally, Distil aims to make the web more secure by enabling users to automatically block 99.9% of malicious traffic. Founded in 2011 and based in Arlington, Virginia, Distil Networks, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Imperva, Inc. since 2019.

Emergent One

Seed Round in 2012
Emergent One generates a complete and customized REST API for an existing application. Once the API is created they tailor a personal developer portal, detailed analytics, custom client bindings, and automatically generated documentation. They're the complete API solution, right out of the box!

Distil, Inc.

Debt Financing in 2012
Distil, Inc. develops and provides cloud security software designed to protect websites from malicious bots and automated attacks. The company's solutions effectively block a wide range of threats, including web scraping, competitive data mining, form spam, click fraud, and account takeovers, ensuring that legitimate users are not affected. Distil's offerings include Bot Defense for API, which safeguards API servers that support public-facing websites and mobile applications, and the Distil Analyst Managed Service, which incorporates human intelligence into bot mitigation efforts. Serving enterprise customers globally, Distil aims to make the web more secure by enabling users to automatically block 99.9% of malicious traffic. Founded in 2011 and based in Arlington, Virginia, Distil Networks, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Imperva, Inc. since 2019.