WalkWise: North Dakota’s First Company in Techstars Accelerator Program
A vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem is supported by faster growing, innovation companies. Today, we are excited to share that one of Fargo’s own has the dubious distinction of being the first North Dakotan company accepted into a Techstars accelerator.
WalkWise was founded in 2016 in Fargo, North Dakota by Peter Chamberlain, who has volunteered as a mentor to NDSU students and judge at pitch competitions while launching his company. WalkWise helps seniors create a sense of independence while ensuring their physical health. Not only do they help seniors, they give families an insight on their loved ones’ activity and increase the living community’s awareness of their resident’s movements.
WalkWise incorporates technology that tracks overall movements and fitness activity while alerting family members and staff of possible emergencies or health concerns. The technology produces monthly reports which encourages seniors to keep up with their fitness activity.
“After installing the WalkWise system on my mother’s walker, it has become a routine conversation starter… ‘I see you walked almost a mile today!’ or ‘how is your day going?’ after seeing a limited amount of walking. The app allows multiple family members to track her activity, which provides peace of mind when we can’t be there personally on a daily basis. I would not want to be without WalkWise going forward.” — Longtime customer Jim Sweeney, user of WalkWise since 2018
WalkWise was invited to join Techstars accelerator program in Minneapolis this fall. Techstars has invested in 1,900 companies and touts itself as one of the largest accelerators in the world. Minneapolis Techstars program will run until December in a partnership with United Healthcare. United Healthcare is one of the largest healthcare organizations in the world and will provide mentorship throughout the program.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be part of the United Healthcare Techstars Accelerator. This is an important step for our company as we advance our mission of helping seniors and families throughout the country.” — Founder & CEO Peter Chamberlain
WalkWise will be focusing on growing their business, networking through strategic partnerships, and gaining momentum for the next three months. To keep up with their efforts or learn more about what they’re working on, visit their website.
