Telluride Venture Accelerator Announces Winners

08 Jan Telluride Venture Accelerator Announces Winners

Five Companies Selected for 2015 Accelerator Class

Telluride Venture Accelerator (TVA), an initiative of the Telluride Foundation, announced  the five winning companies slated to participate in its 2015 five month accelerator program.

TVA is a Telluride-based, mentor driven program focused on innovative high-growth start-up companies in the outdoor recreation, tourism, natural products, health, energy, water and education industry verticals. The 2015 winners were selected through an open competition process of early stage companies, which featured local applicants, as well as throughout the U.S. and internationally.

The winning companies include:

• BaziFIT – Empowering patients with state-of-the-art wearables and mHealth tools, helping doctors track patient recovery through revolutionary balance and movement assessments. The tools create an interactive custom digital rehabilitation program for each patient with the goal of improving engagement in the physical therapy process. This will allow patients to return to play as quickly and safely as possible while reducing future injury rates by maximizing individual performance, strength and balance. CEO & Co-Founder Tallis Salamatian. http://www.bazifit.com/
• The Dyrt is changing the way people search for campgrounds and outdoor adventures through reviews and recommendations. With a searchable database of over 15,000 campgrounds, The Dyrt is already the most comprehensive one-stop source for camping locations throughout the US. CEO & Co-Founder Sarah Smith. https://thedyrt.com/
• Travel Recon provides technology-based risk assessment and travel planning tools on the web for all travelers, the travel industry, and risk mitigation affiliates. Former military and intelligence professionals provide travelers with easy-to-use and destination relevant safety information, complete with situation updates, informative maps (GIS), and subject reports. Also helps travelers by providing a rewarding and free trip sharing experience: “For The Traveler, By The Traveler.” Travel Recon is a pioneer in travel reconnaissance and seeks to revolutionize the way we travel in today’s world. CEO & Co-Founder Toby Houchens. http://www.travelrecon.com/
• Mountain Drones (Unmanned Mountain Safety Systems) designs, builds, and operates unmanned aerial vehicles with the primary purpose of avalanche mitigation for ski resorts and departments of transportation. The company was founded in Vail, CO and looks forward to relocating to Telluride. CEO and Co-Founder Warren Linde, other Co-Founders Brent Holbrook, and Robert Blank.
• ProEditors, a Telluride-based company, transforms raw video into lasting memories. “Simply upload your footage on the web-based platform and the editing team will produce a custom video that can easily be shared with friends and family.” CEO & Founder Patrick Latcham.

Now in its third year, the Telluride Venture Accelerator is modeled after the most successful accelerators in the world. TVA invests $25k in seed funding to five participating companies who relocate to Telluride for five months, where they are provided shared office space at the Peaks Resort and access to mentors to cultivate and support their business endeavors, including successful entrepreneurs-in-residence and Telluride’s angel investment community. A full member of the Global Accelerator Network (GAN), TVA boasts over 80 world-class mentors and an impressive track record in fundraising – over $4.2m for the first 2 accelerator classes.

Irena Todd, Co-founder of Fresh Monster, a TVA 2014 company sums up her experience as a TVA winner last year:

“What makes the Telluride Venture Accelerator so special is its invaluable mentors and the support of the local community. From legal, to strategic, to industry-specific, TVA allows companies to tap into the brains and skill-sets of highly accomplished mentors who are eager and available to help.  As early-stage entrepreneurs, we felt set up to succeed with ample resources at our fingertips.”

“TVA received approximately 100 applications for its third year. The quality of application continues to improve thanks to the increasing network of mentors, sponsors, investors, other stakeholders and our 10 graduates,” observed TVA Co-founder and CEO, Jesse Johnson. “TVA worked with a group of 60 reviewers to pick our final five. It was an incredibly competitive field, and we are excited to announce this years winners.”

The Telluride Foundation initiated TVA in 2012 with the overarching goal of creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Telluride that leads to launching and growing new, high-growth businesses out of Telluride. TVA invests in innovative enterprises with the aim of building and strengthening the entrepreneurial community in the Telluride area to create a self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystem, bringing innovation, jobs, ideas and a renewed dynamism to the region. Along with the Telluride Foundation, TVA is supported by individual donors, foundations, governments and corporate sponsors – notably the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Johnson Family Foundation, US Small Business Administration, Colorado Economic Development Commission, Cooley LLP, IBM and Softlayer.

For more information on TVA, visit www.tellurideva.com.

About the Telluride Foundation:

The Telluride Foundation exists to create a stronger Telluride community through the promotion and support of philanthropy. It is a nonprofit, apolitical community foundation that provides year-round support for local organizations involved in arts, education, athletics, charitable causes, land conservation and other community-based efforts through technical assistance, education and grant making. As a grant maker, the Foundation awards grants to qualified applicants that serve the people living and working in the Telluride area for the purpose of enhancing the quality of life within the region. For more information on the Telluride Foundation, visit www.telluridefoundation.org.