StartOut and J.P. Morgan have welcomed a new cohort of ten high-performing companies to the Growth Lab accelerator, a six-month program that helps LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs grow their businesses through networking, mentorship, and education. Now in its sixth year and eleventh cohort, Growth Lab has helped 65 early-stage companies raise more than $763 million in funding and create more than 3,650 new jobs across the United States.
This incoming cohort of businesses brings together innovators from across the U.S. and Australia, specializing in fields ranging from healthcare and climate to fashion and education.
Which companies are joining the cohort?
J.P. Morgan serves as the co-lead sponsor of Growth Lab, providing expert mentors and educational materials. J.P. Morgan is making the newly launched Capital Connect, a digital platform that directly connects founders and investors, available to eligible cohort members.
The companies selected to join Cohort 11 are:
- A Leading Role (Los Angeles, CA): On a mission to create the most iconic and beautifully designed dress-up and costume brand in the world
- CROOW (Tampa, FL): Built a collaboration platform on software that leverages workflows and efficiencies to streamline video production and change the way that studio-quality video is produced
- Developmate, Inc. (San Antonio, TX): Simplifies site selection for real estate developers by combining data and analytics onto one easy-to-use mapping software.
- Detexian (San Diego, CA): Helps modern workplaces to reduce SaaS spend and risk by empowering IT to be trusted advisors of business teams.
- Dyllen’s College Essay Advice (Los Angeles, CA): Empowers students to discover their sense of self and effectively communicate their personal values, experiences, and potential in well-crafted college admission essays.
- Ecotone Renewables (Pittsburgh, PA): Building the tools to make sustainable food and agriculture systems accessible to local communities
- FULL (Middletown, DE): Gives individuals the tools to feed themselves in health-first, tech-enabled community gardens on rooftops and lawns globally
- Mate Fertility (Los Angeles, CA): Solving fertility access issues in the U.S. through its solution-based focus on equality of access and care.
- Netfolios (Sydney, Australia): Provides in-depth climate analytics tools and data to help the global investment community manage and report climate impacts. Netfolios supports financial institutions in assessing climate-related risks and opportunities, and reducing their financed emissions to reach net zero.
- Tinkery (Sydney, Australia): Makes prototyping kits that encourage learners to creatively apply STEM principles and build devices that tackle personal and global challenges
What does this mean for J.P. Morgan and StartOut?
“In partnership with J.P. Morgan, we are thrilled to kick-off Cohort 11 with this impressive group of innovators. The companies who have graduated from the Growth Lab continue to have a substantial impact on their communities. We can’t wait to help accelerate the growth of this group of passionate entrepreneurs,” said Andres Wydler, Executive Director, StartOut.
“We are proud to continue our work with StartOut as we work to accelerate the growth of LGBTQ+ owned businesses nationwide. Growth Lab offers a unique opportunity for collaboration and community building, and we look forward to the fresh perspectives and innovative thinking Cohort 11 will contribute to this unique community of entrepreneurs,” said David Barbee, Head of LGBTQ+ Initiatives at JP Morgan Chase Commercial Banking.
To learn more about the StartOut Growth Lab, including details on the application process for the next cohort, visit the website. For more information on the financial solutions, visit the website. Learn more about JPMorgan Chase’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community here.
