Techstars

PairAnything is an innovative company focused on enhancing the wine experience for consumers and wineries alike. By leveraging advanced mobile e-commerce and engagement solutions, it connects wineries with customers beyond traditional tasting rooms, promoting a customer-centric and data-driven approach to Direct-to-Consumer sales. The platform also features a food and beverage pairing tool that provides personalized pairing recommendations, catering to both restaurants and individual users. This capability allows restaurants to improve customer satisfaction and boost sales, while individuals can discover new culinary combinations to elevate their dining experiences. Through its proprietary technology, PairAnything is driving digital transformation within the wine industry, which is valued at $70 billion in the U.S.

Sweetkiwi is a food and beverage company that specializes in producing frozen whipped Greek yogurt. The company focuses on offering a delicious and nutritious dessert option made from premium, natural ingredients. Sweetkiwi provides a variety of flavors and product ranges, allowing customers to choose options that suit their tastes and nutritional preferences. Through its innovative approach, the company aims to enhance the dessert experience while promoting healthier eating habits.

Software powering logistics for the global food & beverage sector.

BEERMKR is a company that specializes in producing an automatic beer brewing machine, designed to streamline the brewing process for consumers. This appliance allows users to brew, ferment, carbonate, and serve over a gallon of craft beer with ease. The entire fermentation process is managed through a user-friendly application, making it accessible for both novice and experienced brewers. In addition to the hardware, BEERMKR offers a subscription service for consumables, enhancing the brewing experience for the millions of beer enthusiasts in the United States. The company's goal is to simplify home brewing, making it an enjoyable and efficient activity.

BāKIT Box is a specialty baking kit service owned by a female minority entrepreneur, designed to make baking easy and accessible for individuals of all skill levels. The company provides a rotating selection of culturally diverse baking recipes, delivering pre-measured ingredients directly to customers’ homes. Each kit includes essential items such as eggs, flour, butter, and milk, along with straightforward instructions to facilitate the baking process. BāKIT Box aims not only to foster culinary exploration but also to serve as an educational tool, helping customers, particularly children, learn fundamental baking techniques in a fun and engaging manner.

Bevz operates a SaaS platform aimed at enhancing the snack and drink industry within convenience stores. The company's technology enables these stores to efficiently manage inventory by automating the ordering process from distributors and facilitating product sales both in-store and through various e-commerce channels. By offering a delivery app specifically designed for independent liquor stores, Bevz helps prevent stock shortages and ensures that convenience stores can meet customer demands effectively. This comprehensive approach equips small retailers with the necessary tools, data, and support to optimize their operations and enhance the customer experience.

BāKIT Box is a specialty baking kit service owned by a female minority entrepreneur, designed to make baking easy and accessible for individuals of all skill levels. The company provides a rotating selection of culturally diverse baking recipes, delivering pre-measured ingredients directly to customers’ homes. Each kit includes essential items such as eggs, flour, butter, and milk, along with straightforward instructions to facilitate the baking process. BāKIT Box aims not only to foster culinary exploration but also to serve as an educational tool, helping customers, particularly children, learn fundamental baking techniques in a fun and engaging manner.

FRESCO is revolutionizing the cooking oil market in order to allow anybody to make any dish tastier and healthier, transforming a commodity, like olive oil, into a premium and emotional product. For this reason they developed the first solution to make the best condiment ever, the fresh olive oil. Fresco experience is easy and exciting: all you need is EVA, the first mini-oil mill, and his frozen olives Pulps. Thanks to their multi-skilled team and outstanding partners, they concluded the prototyping phase and they raised €1,0M. In May 2018 they have entered the B2B market with a pre-order campaign and they have already sold 50 subscription plans.

Somm'It is a digital sommelier platform designed to enhance beverage management in restaurants, addressing the challenges that often lead to low profits in the food service industry. By providing an automated solution, Somm'It enables restaurateurs to create personalized wine lists and optimize pricing strategies, ensuring that wines are sold at appropriate markup levels. The platform simplifies inventory management and ordering processes through data intelligence, allowing for real-time updates and decision-making. Ultimately, Somm'It aims to make the expertise of a sommelier accessible to all restaurants, thereby improving their service quality and overall customer experience.

Matchaful LLC, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, specializes in the production and supply of organic matcha tea and matcha-making equipment. The company offers a range of products, including hand-selected Japanese matcha and active botanical nutrients, emphasizing nutrient density. Matchaful provides essential matcha sets, accessories, and gift cards, catering to cafes, offices, and individual consumers. Their organic matcha is rich in antioxidants and contains caffeine, promoting focused and sustained energy while boasting five times the chlorophyll of regular green tea. Through its offerings, Matchaful aims to empower individuals to embrace healthier lifestyles.

NaCa Fermentation, Inc. is a company based in Beaverton, Oregon, that specializes in enhancing fermentation processes for beverage distilleries, breweries, and wineries. The firm manufactures fermentation tanks and develops yeast encapsulation technology aimed at overcoming challenges such as stuck, slow, and unpredictable fermentations. By transforming biological processes into mechanical ones, NaCa Fermentation's innovative fermenters and patent-pending technology enable consistent fermentations that can occur within 24 hours, all while maintaining product quality. The company's solutions allow producers to improve their production capacity and efficiency, maximizing the use of their existing facilities.

Drinkeasy operates as a text-message based marketplace specializing in premium and craft spirits from global distilleries. The service functions as a personal shopping assistant, offering users the ability to discover and purchase hard-to-find beverages that are often unavailable in local liquor stores. By combining artificial intelligence with human expertise, Drinkeasy provides tailored recommendations based on individual tastes, ranging from rare scotches to small-batch tequilas. This innovative approach focuses on creating a personalized conversational shopping experience, making it easier for consumers to access a curated selection of high-quality spirits.

TONX is a small team of coffee experts focused on providing consumers with the ability to brew exceptional coffee at home or in the office. They emphasize that anyone can achieve a superior cup in their kitchen, surpassing even the finest cafes, and at a lower cost. The company carefully sources high-quality coffees from around the world, roasting them shortly before shipping to ensure freshness. Customers can conveniently order their selections online, allowing them to enjoy freshly roasted coffee tailored to their preferences.

TONX is a small team of coffee experts focused on providing consumers with the ability to brew exceptional coffee at home or in the office. They emphasize that anyone can achieve a superior cup in their kitchen, surpassing even the finest cafes, and at a lower cost. The company carefully sources high-quality coffees from around the world, roasting them shortly before shipping to ensure freshness. Customers can conveniently order their selections online, allowing them to enjoy freshly roasted coffee tailored to their preferences.

TONX is a small team of coffee experts focused on providing consumers with the ability to brew exceptional coffee at home or in the office. They emphasize that anyone can achieve a superior cup in their kitchen, surpassing even the finest cafes, and at a lower cost. The company carefully sources high-quality coffees from around the world, roasting them shortly before shipping to ensure freshness. Customers can conveniently order their selections online, allowing them to enjoy freshly roasted coffee tailored to their preferences.