gener8tor and Georgia-Pacific Announce Five Companies Selected for Startup Accelerator
NEENAH, WI — Georgia-Pacific and nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor have named the five companies selected for its inaugural 1915 Studios program.
Altitude Medical, Roving Blue, Luys Systems, RingCo and Saneex set themselves apart through a competitive application and interview process to take part in the summer cohort. The startups were recruited from all over the country, including Cleveland, Ohio, Indianapolis, Ind., Miami, Fla., Silicon Valley and Lena, Wi. Each company focuses on hygiene, Internet of Things (IoT) and sensing tech. More information on the companies can be found below.
1915 Studios is a free accelerator for early-stage technology startups following the model of gener8tor’s gBETA program, which operates 20-plus other programs across the country. The gBETA program provides participants with intensive and individualized coaching and access to gener8tor’s national network of mentors, potential customers, corporate partners, and investors.
1915 Studios’ 12-week program is designed to help startups prototype and build their products, gain early customer traction on their product or idea, and establish metrics that make them competitive applicants for full-time accelerators or seed investment.
The companies also have access to and support from Georgia-Pacific’s Neenah Technical Center (NTC), a research and development facility of more than 250 scientists, engineers, technicians, and support staff who, together, offer centuries of papermaking, product development and testing expertise. 1915 Studios is made possible by Georgia-Pacific.
“The innovation and entrepreneurship shown by these great founders is what we were looking for when kicking off the 1915 Studios program” said Darin Driessen, open innovation director, Georgia-Pacific and managing director, 1915 Studios. “With the support from our research and development capabilities and gener8tor, we look forward to seeing how far the startups can advance their businesses.”
The program kicked off June 21 and will culminate on August 31 at the 1915 Studios “Pitch Night,” which will highlight each of the five companies. This event will be an opportunity for the public to listen and learn more about the startups and network with the founders and other community members. For more information and to RSVP, visit gbetastartups.com/1915-studios/pitch-night.
1915 Studios is held twice per year, with five companies accepted per cohort to ensure a high level of individualized attention. Those interested in learning more can reach out to 1915 Studios Director Shakkiah Curtis at shakkiah@gener8tor.com or visit gbetastartups.com/1915-studios.
1915 Studios Summer 2021 Cohort
Saneex®
Saneex (Miami, Fla.) develops robotic self-sanitizing and deodorizing toilet seats. B2B customers with public restrooms can easily replace their existing toilet seats with the Saneex Pro toilet seats. The low-maintenance device operates three to six months before needing battery or sanitizing solution replacement, which customers can also buy through Saneex. Saneex is currently working with two factories in Asia to bring the product to market. CEO: Nuri Dorra | n.dorra@saneex.com | Saneex.com
___________________________________________________________________
Roving Blue
Roving Blue (Lena, Wis.) products harness “The Power of EO3™, a new way to produce and dissolve ozone gas into water. This gives standard tap water bleach-like powers; it can be used to quickly kill unwanted microorganisms in drinking water, meats and produce, and surfaces. Ozone quickly reverts to ordinary oxygen, leaving no chemical residues, which saves on chemical costs and drastically reduces water use. Roving Blue® is a QNVB Certified, Delaware C-Corp. In 2020, Roving Blue® generated $189,295 in revenue, an increase of 116% over 2019. CEO: Marianna DeMyer | yana@rovingblue.com | RovingBlue.com
___________________________________________________________________
Luys
Luys (Silicon Valley, Calif.) develops and manufactures smart building products, starting with LED lights to indicate public restroom stall occupancy. In addition to providing this occupancy status for restroom patrons, Luys’ patented system also includes sensors for facility managers to capture usage, servicing and environmental data. CEO: Daniel Castellano | daniel_castellano@luys-systems.com
___________________________________________________________________
Compel
COMPEL (Indianapolis, Ind.) provides a rinse-free, durable cleanser for skin and surfaces. COMPEL’s all-natural, simple, and scientifically-proven formula restores the natural skin barrier and safeguards a variety of surfaces and fabrics with lasting effects. COMPEL’s patent-pending formula sells through eCommerce and distribution, initially focused on athletic facilities. COMPEL has generated $8,526.54 to date. Co-founder: Tricia Ringer | tricia.ringer@ring-co.com | ring-co.com
___________________________________________________________________
Altitude Medical
Altitude Medical (Cleveland, Ohio) makes hand hygiene intuitive by developing uniquely designed door handles that dispense hand sanitizer. These products make it easy and intuitive for users to remember to sanitize their hands. By putting these proprietary sanitizing systems at critical points of contamination, Altitude Medical increases the rate of hand hygiene and improves the facility’s overall health and wellness. Altitude Medical has generated $745K in revenue to date. CEO: Jon Horbaly | jon@altitudemedical.com
###
About Georgia-Pacific
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, building products and related chemicals. Our familiar consumer brands include Quilted Northern®, Angel Soft®, Brawny®, Dixie®, enMotion®, Sparkle® and Vanity Fair®. Its Georgia-Pacific Recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest traders of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates more than 150 facilities and employs more than 30,000 people directly and creates approximately 89,000 jobs indirectly. For more information, visit: gp.com/about-us. For news, visit: gp.com/news
About gener8tor
gener8tor’s turnkey platform for the creative economy connects startup founders, investors, corporations, universities, musicians and artists. The gener8tor platform includes more than 40 different programs spanning accelerators, corporate programming, speaker series, conferences and fellowships with content on community growth, impact investing, diversity, equity and inclusion, and innovation across education, agriculture, insurance, healthcare, and more. gener8tor works with more than 200 startups annually, many of whom participate in the company’s flagship 12-week accelerator and go on to raise follow-on financing, grow their team, and even be acquired. Founded in 2012 and operating across 28 cities, gener8tor has earned the prestigious status of being a nationally ranked, GOLD-tier accelerator by the Seed Accelerator Rankings Project and been named one of Fast Company’s 2020 Most Innovative Companies. For more information, visit https://www.gener8tor.com.
About gBETA
gBETA accelerates the growth of early-stage companies through its network-driven program. gBETA supports five teams per cohort and requires no fees and no equity. Since launching in 2015, gBETA program alumni have raised $192M+ in capital and created 2,146+ jobs across the US and Canada. For more gBETA statistics, visit gbetastartups.com/statistics.
###
