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By: James Shomar, Program Director, StartFast Venture Accelerator
StartFast Venture Accelerator announced that it has closed 3 follow-on investments in 2017, a record number for the firm. The companies financed include New York City based Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF), Canadian company Tunedly, and Buffalo based RepHike.
“Our efforts to find and mentor the best startups in the world are now paying off,” stated StartFast Managing Director Nasir Ali. “We are looking forward to more follow-on financings and exits as our companies mature and grow.”
Applications are open for the 2018 StartFast Cohort. Apply now at StartFast.net.
StartFast is a venture capital fund and membership-driven program. Each year StartFast invests in a select handful of software, mobile or IoT companies, and hosts a 3-month acceleration program at the Madden School of Business at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. Initial investment includes $25,000, with up to $100,000 in potential follow-on funding. During the accelerator, teams are connected with world-class entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives and subject matter experts to help their companies advance to the next level. Graduates maintain access to the StartFast network for life.
About the Companies That Receives Follow-On Investment
EGF’s mission is to build the next generation of the NCAA for e-sports in college and high school. EGF oversees a collegiate e-sports league and is the only state-endorsed high school e-sports league in the country. “We’ve seen an amazing response to e-sports in the educational world from the adoption of formal competitive programs to the implementation of e-sports-based educational programs and it’s been an incredible experience to be a part of this wave of innovation and development.” comments CEO Tyler Schrodt. EGF is a member StartFast’s 2015 cohort.
Tunedly is a marketplace that connects songwriters with session musicians to record and produce professional quality music. Independent musicians have forever struggled to produce theirs songs. Using the company’s platform, artists from across the Globe can collaborate in a virtual studio, saving them both time and money. CEO Chirs Erhardt describes Tunedly as a place where “songwriters can finally produce competitive music regardless of their location. We are evening out the playing field in the songwriting industry. Thanks to StartFast’s help, we managed to make tremendous progress throughout 2017.” Tunedly is a member of StartFast’s 2016 cohort.
RepHike is an end-to-end software suite to help consumer brands launch, manage, and track college brand ambassador programs. Brand ambassador programs have proven to be an innovative method for consumer brands to tap into the highly sought after college student market. “RepHike is driving word of mouth marketing for brands among younger generations.” says company CEO Shashank Roy. Rephike is a member of StartFast’s 2017 cohort.
“We’re incredibly excited about the progress these teams are making. It just goes to show how the right blend of investment and mentorship can be extremely valuable for startups.” says StartFast Program Director James Shomar.