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.

Focus

Pre Seed Round Seed Round Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Series A Show more

http://techstars.com/ventures

https://crunchbase.com/organization/techstars

https://facebook.com/techstars

https://linkedin.com/company/techstars

https://twitter.com/techstars

https://www.capitaliq.com/CIQDotNet/company.aspx?companyId=431767203

https://www.privateequityinternational.com/database/#/profile?id=14977

Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in Retail

Rejoicy

Pre Seed Round in 2021

Rejoicy helps local businesses get discovered by offering digital storefronts and an online marketplace for community members to discover products and services from the comfort of their homes.

Duhqa

Pre Seed Round in 2021

Duhqa operates a supply chain and distribution technology platform that connects manufacturers, retailers, and individuals. The platform facilitates online ordering and real-time tracking, enhancing the efficiency of the ordering and delivery processes. Additionally, it provides access to short-term financing, allowing retailers to improve their inventory management and potentially lower costs related to fragmented supply chains. By streamlining these connections, Duhqa enables its users to shop and manage distribution more effectively.

Kindora

Pre Seed Round in 2021

Kindora buys, sells, and rents premium pre-owned items – from cots and strollers to nursery furniture – after a deep clean.

Vervet

Pre Seed Round in 2020

Vervet is a manufacturing company that specializes in retail, sales, and distribution of beer and cocktails.

Crave Retail

Pre Seed Round in 2019

Crave Retail, Inc. develops a platform, which connects shoppers with in-store inventory. The company provides fitting room screen for shoppers to request new sizes and colors, and it offers product recommendations. It also provides store experience dashboard for real-time insights into store performance, customer engagement, and associate productivity. Crave Retail, Inc. was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Bundl

Pre Seed Round in 2019

Bundl is a marketplace and platform for resale boutiques, consignment stores & individual sellers to connect to buyers all over the world. They are the number one destination for children’s and baby resale apparel and accessories.

A Retail Space

Pre Seed Round in 2018

A Retail Space, Inc. owns and operates an online platform that allows users to find the location for their business through data. The company is based in New York, New York.

RetailQuant

Seed Round in 2018

RetailQuant is a retail analytics company that makes it easy for physical retailers to collect, analyse and interpret customer information at scale.

Shopest

Convertible Note in 2018

Shopest makes discovering Nearby fashion as fast and as simple as online. For the shoppers our location-based native apps and web allow them to quickly find fashion items, shops and brands, along with must-see retail events & experiences...live shopping. Our customer is the retailer, we work with independent and speciality retailers to drive more qualified customers into their stores. Retailers are able to target shoppers before, during and retarget after their visit. Our mission is to save the world from retail clone zones and help keep vibrant shopping areas and talent alive.