- Date published
Maybe you couldn’t make the event. Or maybe you just want to feel the excitement again. We’ve rounded up the highlights from Demo Day at the efactory.
Cohort 4
Our accelerator program is a critical piece of our efforts to support entrepreneurship and innovation in southwest Missouri. The five companies in Cohort 4 were selected from hundreds of applicants to be part of our transformative 13-week program.
They’ve had a busy summer. Presentations, expert sessions, office hours and more have led to this. They’re ready to take things to the next level and we can’t wait to watch it happen.
Their success is Springfield’s success. At the efactory, we believe Springfield is the place where dreams really do come true. We believe in hard work, determination, collaboration, and good ideas. Community is who we are. Forward is where we’re going.
Collaboarator
Musicians have it tough. They have to stick out in a crowd, find people to work with, and frequently see their profits squeezed by distributors and middlemen.
Collaboarator is changing all of that. The social media platform makes it easy for music artists to find one another, gain exposure, and get paid.
It’s Live
Founder Seth Kitchen recently graduated from the University of Missouri – Rolla with an engineering degree and has been hard at work developing the app. He was excited to share that it’s ready for download on Andoid, Windows, and iOS. Get to it!
And People Are Into It
Musicians from around the world are already using (and loving) the app.
Compat.io
Ever bought one thing, but couldn’t figure out which things go with it? Most of the things we use each day are actually a combination of products, accessories, and components that come together to create a solution.
Compat.io is a software platform that makes it easy for customers to find products that go together. Whether it’s finding the perfect crank set for your bicycle or a high-end lens for your specialty camera, Compat.io turns compatibility from a research project into a click.
Show Me the Money
A great idea and solid team are only two parts of the equation. To truly build and scale a company, you need capital. Compat.io founder Tim Baynes has been working on that. We’re thrilled to share that during the accelerator program he closed a $900,000 round of investment. That brings Compat.io’s total non-founder investment to $1.25 million.
It’s Ready for Dealers
Compat.io makes it easy for dealers to cross-sell more effectively. And it’s ready for them! They’re starting with a focus on the bicycling industry, and bike dealers can start using the Expert Recommendation System (XRS) Magento plugin today.
Fletch
It turns out actually going to class plays a major role in student success. But tracking attendance? It can be a huge burden for instructors, students, and the institution.
Fletch is an effortless technology that takes attendance without instructors or students lifting a finger. The Bluetooth-based approach respects privacy, requires next to nothing from the user, and opens up massive opportunities outside of education.
Revenue is Real
Folks are loving Fletch’s technology. Marquett Burton shared that they’ve passed more than $100,000 in revenue and landed some major clients during the accelerator program. Working with groups like DeVry University, the University of Akron, and the University of Arizona is just the start.
Thank You, Next
It’s not only about attendance. Fletch is ready to tackle everything from making sure students are on the right school bus to helping manufacturing facilities track equipment. The Fletch Dot is their latest innovation, with a quarter-sized beacon that can be attached to just about anything.
ModBox
It’s 2019 and our skies are full of flying robots. And while drones are super cool, owning and operating one comes with a lot of work. Professionals and hobbyists spend tons of time packing and unpacking their kits to keep things charged, organized, and ready to go.
ModBox has built the world’s first smart case for drones. Developed for pilots by pilots, it’s packed with features like internal charging and backup power, SD card readers/organizers, built-in monitor mounts, and more.
They’re Lining Up
Drone owners are eager to get their hands on a case. ModBox is planning to launch later this year, and they’ve already got a waitlist of pilots worth $30,000 in pre-sales.
This is Just the Beginning
Drones are only the beginning. Imagine smart cases for tools used by construction crews. Smart cases for audio equipment used by musicians. If it’s stored in box, ModBox can improve it.
Optikal
Life is expensive! And one out of every two millennials is living paycheck to paycheck. This financial hardship means they sacrifice things like eye care, putting their vision at risk.
Optikal is a subscription box that makes eye care affordable. It breaks down the upfront cost of an eye exam, one year’s supply of contacts, contact care supplies, and backup glasses into monthly payments.
Partners are in Place
Optikal has landed a partnership with OnSight, a workplace vision program that brings eye exams directly into the workplace. Working with another company that’s equally determined to disrupt the eye care market sets Optikal up for optimum success.
Customer Loyalty
Optikal already has paying customers, and they’re sticking with the service. The team is proud of their 1.3% churn rate and has plans in place to keep it low.
