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

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in AgTech

qualiTEAS

Non Equity Assistance in 2022
qualiTEAS is a Canada based corrosion inspection and management company. Besides specialized services, we have developed a machine learning based computer vision technology (Argus 1.21) capable of analyzing asset images to assess any impact(s) due to corrosion. This digital inspection solution can further augment the on-site asset inspection, as a part of digital twin application that can further complements the predictive maintenance practices.

AGTools

Pre Seed Round in 2020
AgTools provides game-changing intelligence to the agriculture market through up-to-the-moment statistics that affect time, cost, supply, demand, alternatives and more throughout the produce chain of food from farm to table on all levels. With data structured, unstructured and word mining data from government agencies, universities, industry associations, research institutes, weather APIs, AGTools has over 71 million records of market data plus 25 years on a national and global scale.

AgHelp

Pre Seed Round in 2019
AgHelp, Inc. operates an online platform that provides job listing services for workers and employers. Its platform enables employers to employ workers for permanent, seasonal, trade, skilled, or other agricultural related jobs. The company also provides support services, such as migrant education programs, migrant head start programs, immigration services, legal services, and job training programs. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Belding, Michigan.

Leucine

Pre Seed Round in 2019
LeucineTech is a global provider of Pharmaceutical engineering & technology solutions to the regulated Life-sciences industry, focused on providing system integration (automation), qualification & validation of equipment’s / systems, clean utilities, 21 CFR Part-11 compliant technology development in GxP environment.

Nestrom

Seed Round in 2019
Nestrom Inc. is an agricultural technology company based in Amman, Jordan, founded in 2016. The company specializes in developing farm management systems that utilize advanced technologies to enhance agricultural operations. Nestrom offers a range of software solutions, including Farm Management Software, which enables farm managers to track and optimize efficiency and costs at the field level. Additionally, their Workforce Management System allows for the monitoring of field workers’ activities and movements using affordable Android devices. The company's Precision & Automation Systems facilitate environmental monitoring, further streamlining agricultural processes. Nestrom aims to transform traditional farms into smart farms, empowering farm owners to manage operations effectively and trace costs against outputs at both macro and granular levels.

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.