gener8tor launches gALPHA Industry 4.0 in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Nationally-ranked startup accelerator gener8tor is launching its gALPHA program in Fort Wayne, with a focus on Industry 4.0. Applications are currently being accepted and the program will kickoff August 17, 2020.
gALPHA’s hybrid ideation/accelerator format is designed to help would-be entrepreneurs identify promising business models and design minimum viable products (MVPs) or MVP roadmaps capable of being built without access to financing. This gALPHA Industry 4.0 program will run in August and September with the goal of bringing in as many participants as possible, knowing that not everyone will choose to continue by forming their own startup.
According to the Indiana Manufacturer’s Association, Industry 4.0 became rooted in Indiana in 2018 and has continued to grow in pervasiveness and importance, as shown by their annual survey. Industry 4.0 is an opportunity for Indiana manufacturers to increase productivity, have quicker responsiveness to market demands, and will allow for quicker/better decision making based on increased, real-time data.
Sarah Aubrey, the program’s Director stated that “The gALPHA Industry 4.0 program hopes to advance ideas to assist Indiana manufacturers leverage the advantages of Industry 4.0 to retain their competitive edge.” The industry focus was selected “to highlight and expand upon existing skillsets and domain expertise of the population in our region, as well as the efforts of the IEDC support manufacturing efforts across the state,” Aubrey continued. In June the IEDC, in partnership with Elevate Ventures, announced a $3 million fund focused on smart and advanced manufacturing in Indiana.
gALPHA participants will gain a better sense of their own technological capabilities and the ability to drive innovation throughout their career because of the gALPHA experience regardless of if they choose to continue running their start-up idea after the program. This will aid in developing the Northeast Indiana regional talent pool as well as sparking continual innovation.
The gALPHA program will consist of bi-weekly meetings August 17 — September 4. It will conclude in a gALPHA Showcase virtual event that will highlight the projects and progress created during the program.
The gALPHA program is offered in Fort Wayne thanks to the support of the City of Fort Wayne’s Summit City Entrepreneur and Enterprise District (SEED) and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
Sarah Aubrey, who runs the gBETA programs in Fort Wayne, will also run the gALPHA Industry 4.0 program. Anyone interested or with questions can contact Sarah at sarah@gener8tor.com.
Application Deadline: August 8, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. CT.
