The Element 46 Tech Accelerator Powered by Cela Innovation, Westchester County’s full-scale startup accelerator program, today announced the 11, tech-based, Westchester companies joining the Fall 2022 Cohort. The Accelerator participants will receive support with sales, product development, marketing, fundraising, operations, and management. Participants will also make meaningful connections with technology experts, experienced entrepreneurs, and funders of many kinds.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “We are excited to welcome the next group of startups into Element 46. These entrepreneurs reflect the caliber of innovation and excellence that Westchester County is known for, and we are proud to support them as they scale.”
Westchester County Director of Economic Development Bridget Gibbons said: “Westchester County is invested in the success of its startup community. This cohort includes a diverse group of entrepreneurs and ideas, and we look forward to watching these ventures evolve and excel.”
Westchester County Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Deborah Novick, said: “Entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in the Westchester County economy and we are proud to support them through our Element 46 accelerator program. We pride ourselves on offering a first-class combination of education, mentorship and networking that helps startups to achieve significant milestones, and look forward to sharing this winning combination with our newest cohort of entrepreneurs.”
The members of Element 46’s fourth cohort, which includes seven MWBEs and six ventures led by female CEOs, are:
Bridget Johns-Pavlopoulos, To&From , To&From redefines digital gifting by delivering personalized experiences wherever and whenever a gifting need is presented. Starting with the consumer, To&From has built experiences that make it incredibly simple for consumers to find the right gift for the people in their lives and to organize all of their gifting needs. These experiences live in To&From's own curated gift discovery platform, in content and with creators, and directly on brand experiences. To&From brings you the simplicity of Amazon wherever a gifting thought or need arises.
Caroline McCaffery, ClearOps.io, The ClearOPS platform automates manual tasks for virtual Chief Information Security Officers (vCISOs), accelerating the growth of their business and increasing the number of CISOs they can support. With ClearOPS, virtual CISOs can upload their own gap assessments, benefit from our ClearOPS’ patented security technology and automatically manage their clients' privacy and security operations database. By automating the administrative work, virtual CISOs can scale faster.
Farzaneh Ahmadi, Laronix, Laronix is a world-leading Med-Tech startup with effective voice technologies for people suffering permanent voice loss and chronic voice deficiencies. Laronix has two products in its portfolio: (a) Bionic Voice, a breakthrough natural-sounding artificial voice box supporting in-person voice communication (patented, FDA/TGA registered); and (b) Laronix’s Voice App, for supporting phone/online voice communication (e.g., Zoom). The primary market for Laronix’s products in Australia and the US is $5.4 billion. Laronix’s share of this market is estimated to reach $134 million by 2026.
Greg Perlman, EngagePlay Therapy, Engage Play Therapy is a telehealth platform for play therapy. Engage provides a simple and affordable solution for therapists to support engagement with their young clients in therapy. A therapist can connect with their clients on a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer while playing games with telehealth clients.
Joshua Nunberg, Urbanvie, Urbanvie has created a simple-to-use and powerful property management software platform that is integrated with a Human Network of local real estate professionals and contractors, to help Do it Yourself Property Owners and Independent Real Estate Investors (DIYs) buy, rent, sell, manage, and fix their property.
Imani Schectman, Open Market, We all have a role to play in an equitable society and sustainable environment. Open Market is a virtual pop-up and marketplace that exclusively features BIPOC and POC-owned businesses. Our bespoke shopping experience and in-person activations make it easier for customers to patronize businesses that align with their values. Open Market is designed to cultivate conscious consumerism; we encourage our community to actively participate in the re-distribution of capital.
Marc Saulino, StatementGames, StatementGames Inc. is B2B SAAS gaming platform leveraging its own patented sports gaming technology. Through our platform, we help sports marketers and content creators address challenges in the areas of customer engagement, analytics and database marketing.
Mark Ferguson, Innervation Finance, InnervationSCF® connects buyers, suppliers, and funding sources on a safe, secure SaaS-based platform, enabling vendors to improve cash flow by accelerating vendor payments.
Michael Bifolco, Sheperd, Sheperd is a personalized recommendation engine that helps people make better decisions. Sheperd gets to know your preferences and what motivates you so it can generate relevant recommendations and advice based on similar users who have already faced the same decision. Sheperd establishes a partnership with the user during the critical first 80% of the decision-making process - a phase not currently being addressed by any other solutions. Guiding users through the earliest stages to the final decision builds confidence and trust, giving Sheperd the incumbent advantage to win downstream monetization opportunities.
Susan Joseph, Healthtrends.ai, Healthtrends combats misinformation by providing critical datasets with integrity. Valda, our data explorer and validation platform, provides a single source of truth that you can trust, so you can make the best investment and strategic decisions possible.
Traci Jones, Everfoam Products, EverFoam’s mission is to provide a solution to dwindling helium availability through our innovative alternatives, and to build products that delight event planners and party decor retailers, while driving down use of critical helium reserves.
Cela Partner and Co-Founder, John Lynn, said: “After months of applications, interviews, and searching the County for its best tech entrepreneurs, we are thrilled to announce the Fall 2022 cohort of 11 startups selected for Westchester County's Element 46 Accelerator program. Westchester's innovative application of an accelerator program to bring forward the best entrepreneurs in the County now showcases the incredible ventures already developing within the County's startup ecosystem, and its readiness to contribute at national and global levels of tech entrepreneurship.”
Members of the Fall 2022 Element 46 Tech Accelerator cohort will be matched with hand-picked mentors who are leaders in technology, finance, business strategy, venture capital, marketing and other key areas. Participants also gain access to a group of dedicated professional service providers, including accountants and IP attorneys, who provide pro bono services to cohort members. This cohort will also benefit from a “Demo Day” at the end of the program, enabling participants to present their businesses to customers, partners, investors, and other potential stakeholders from across the tri-state region.
About The Westchester County Office of Economic Development
The Westchester County Office of Economic Development works to improve the County’s economic well-being and quality of life. This includes a broad range of activities to attract, create and retain jobs, and to foster a resilient, pro-growth and inclusive economy. For more information, visit the Westchester Catalyst website..