Kansas State University College of Business Administration Accelerator program awards $100,000 to 10 entrepreneurs.
Kansas State University announced that 10 entrepreneurs recently pitched their companies to a panel of judges during Demo Day, the culmination of the eight-week Accelerator program hosted by K-State College of Business Administration’s Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship.
PillReady, Wichita, was the grand prize winner, earning $36,000 in funding for the startup.
The Accelerator program selected 10 startups last fall from nearly 70 applicants and provided them with much-needed resources, including faculty-led courses, hands-on student research teams and access to the university’s world-class alumni mentor network.
“The Accelerator allows us to share our unique resources with the broader entrepreneurial community,” said Chad Jackson, Jack Vanier director of the university’s Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship. “Our faculty, alumni mentors and students are incredible resources, and we are excited to share their expertise to support startup ventures.”
K-State said each of the 10 companies was awarded a grant that ranged from $1,000 to $36,000. In total, $100,000 in equity-free funding was awarded.
“I think this is a great program,” said Tom Anderson, founder of PillReady. “Every cohort was dedicated, competitive and highly knowledgeable in their respective fields. We are already working on the budget for the funding to expedite the return on such a generous grant and continue to move PillReady forward to commercialization.”
The startups that participated in the 2023 Accelerator are:
- Acclivity Technologies, Inc., Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina.
- Blackbox, Kansas City
- MyPal AI, Bothell, Washington
- FindMyDirectDoctor, Topeka
- Health Partners MD, Overland Park
- HealthyID, Lenexa
- PillReady, Wichita
- Miller Enterprises, Manhattan
- Poshed On the Go, Shawnee
- Sharing Solace, Olathe
“I had a fantastic experience through the KSU Accelerator program,” said Ruth Shrauner, founder of Poshed on the Go and recipient of $23,500 in funding. “I learned so much and benefited greatly from meeting with the mentors who graciously gave us their time.”
K-State said in another component of the Accelerator program, students in the Entrepreneurial Consulting class at K-State worked on a project for each of the Accelerator entrepreneurs under the direction of the faculty lead, Rachel Mui, assistant professor of management.
K-State indicated that the Accelerator entrepreneurs nominated students for consulting awards, and students nominated recipients for a faculty award and mentor award. These awards were presented during a ceremony on Demo Day.
Full story: Entrepreneurs receive award from K-State Accelerator program
