SYRACUSE — The StartFast Venture Accelerator has announced the five teams that will participate in its summer program beginning May 28.
StartFast is a program of Upstate Venture Connect, a nonprofit group formed in 2010 to encourage the development of more small, innovative companies in upstate New York.
The program selected the five finalists after reviewing more than 1,000 startups over six months, the organization said in a news release.
The five teams include Glyphr of Syracuse, which is developing a 3D augmented reality application that turns mobile advertisements into “meaningful engagement” and enables brands to give their audience an “immersive interactive experience,” according to StartFast.
The finalists also include WedWu of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., described as a “priceline-like service for brides and grooms; Falcon of Los Angeles which is an app that lets a consumer “navigate off-grid with personalized, shared maps;” Symcircle of San Francisco, described as “the easiest way to keep up with everything going on in your organization worldwide; and Calester of Hamilton, Ont., which makes sharing, finding, and recalling events simple, fun, and social, according to the release.
“StartFast is all about building great companies and great companies make great investment opportunities. We are really excited about this year’s team and look forward to showcasing them in August,” Chuck Stormon, managing director of StartFast, said in the news release.
StartFast Venture Accelerator is a private, investor-backed program modeled on the TechStars program that started in Boulder, Colo. four years ago and has since spread to Boston, Seattle, and New York City, the organization said.
StartFast says it provides early funding for high-potential startup teams from around the world and invites them to Syracuse each summer for an “intensive” 100-day program.
Mentors and investors affiliated with the program have the opportunity to work closely with the companies and make follow-on investments at the end of the program.
Organizations, including Fairport–based asset manager Manning & Napier, the global accounting firm Ernst & Young, Upstate Venture Connect, Cayuga Venture Fund, Seed Capital Fund of CNY, and Upstate Venture Association of New York, are supporting StartFast 2013.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
