Telluride Venture Accelerator: Demo Day, Class of 2015

27 Jun Telluride Venture Accelerator: Demo Day, Class of 2015

For articles about each company and interviews/podcasts with company founder, please visit us on Telluride Inside.. and Out here. 

The Telluride Venture Accelerator (TVA) is entering the final phase of its third year. Launched in the fall of 2012 as an initiative of the Telluride Foundation, TVA selected five companies out of more than 100 applicants from around the world to participate in the 2015 five-month business accelerator program. The winning companies are now in their final phase: preparing for “Demo Day” scheduled for July 1, 2015.

Leveraging TVA’s extensive network of more than 80 mentors, they have created new products, refined business plans, generated financial models, finalized investment term sheets, secured customers, and evolved their marketing and branding strategies.

“TVA has provided Travel Recon with opportunities and access to mentors in the travel industry that otherwise would not have been available to us,” commented Toby Houchens, CEO of Travel Recon, who is considering headquartering in or near Telluride. “The location of TVA in Telluride has provided a concentrated line-up of world class business mentors unparalleled in other parts of the U.S.”

Operating in the co-working space hosted by The Peaks Resort & Spa, all of the ventures have made substantial progress throughout the program and are poised for full launch.

The TVA program culminates with an Investor Demo Day at the Peaks Resort, followed by the 2015 companies taking their pitches and stories on the road to events in Denver and San Francisco. For this invite-only Demo Day, TVA is bringing together a unique group of angel and institutional investors to hear the final presentations from the participating companies after five months of immersion in the TVA accelerator program.

A social event the evening before Demo Day features a keynote presentation by Joseph Andrew, Global Chairman of Dentons and a panel discussion moderated by Bruce Evans, Managing Director of Summit Partners. The panel will focus on “Disruption and Entrepreneurship” and will include Joseph Andrew, Global Chairman of Dentons; Brad Feld, Managing Director of Foundry Group and Co-Founder of TechStars; and Jim Kelley, Managing Director and Founder of Vestar Capital Partners and the Colorado Impact Fund. Brad Feld will also participate in a “fireside chat” with TVA co-founder and CEO Jesse Johnson during the Demo Day program on July 1.

“It is especially meaningful to have Brad Feld as our keynote at this year’s Demo Day. Brad was uniquely helpful to TVA from the start. He sent us an advance, free copy of his book Startup Communities, invited us to attend TechStars’ Boulder Demo Day and put us in touch with many people. He has held office hours with our graduates, sent mentors and companies our way, and has been eager to lend a hand at every turn,” said Johnson.

The companies have benefited from TVA’s 80+ mentors, including entrepreneurs-in-residence, who guided the companies through their 5 months.

“The mentorship and connections we have received through TVA has been invaluable. We’ve been able to meet with key strategic partners in the healthcare industry,” says Tallis Salamatian, CEO of BaziFIT, who is moving to the Front Range after graduating. “I have been very impressed with both the quality of mentors and the amount of time and effort the mentors have spent with the teams.”

The 2015 winning companies include:

·         ProEditors is a Telluride-based company, which transforms raw video into lasting memories. Simply upload your footage on the web-based platform and the ProEditors editing team will produce a custom video that can easily be shared with friends and family. CEO & Founder – Patrick Latcham, patrick@proeditors.com www.proeditors.com

·         BaziFIT is empowering patients with state-of-the-art wearables and mHealth tools, helping doctors track patient recovery through revolutionary balance and movement assessments. BaziFIT 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 & Founder – Tallis Salamatian, tallis@bazifit.com 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. Co-Founder & CEO – Kevin Long, kevin@thedyrt.com www.thedyrt.com

·         Mountain Drones brings to market groundbreaking Unmanned Aerial Systems uniquely purposed for environmental monitoring. Our company’s innovative integration of sensory equipment empowers clients with previously unattainable information allowing better decisions related to natural resource management. The company was founded in Vail, CO and looks forward to relocating to Telluride. CEO & Co-Founder – Brent Holbrook, brent@mountaindrones.net www.mountaindrones.net

·         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. Travel Recon 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, thouchens@trevelrecon.com www.travelrecon.com

TVA invests human and financial capital in innovative enterprises with the aim of building and strengthening the entrepreneurial community in the Telluride region to create a self-sustaining entrepreneurial ecosystem bringing innovation, jobs, ideas and a renewed dynamism. ProEditors is a Telluride company from the 2015 cohort. Their CEO Patrick Latcham described the experience as follows:

“ProEditors’ time in TVA has been more of a value add then we could ever have expected. We have gone from concept to executed business in 5 months. The future is looking bright, and we are excited to take our business to the next level competing internationally in a growing market…from Telluride.” 

TVA’s flagship program is its 5-month-long residential accelerator program for early-stage entrepreneurs. This effort provides participating companies with the resources they need to succeed and grow, including hands-on, high-level mentoring, advice, practical business training, and access to capital.

TVA plays to Telluride’s unique strengths, including access to a high concentration of successful investors and business executives that have a connection to Telluride, being the first accelerator funded and run by a community foundation, and the first accelerator to focus on outdoor recreation, tourism, natural products, health, energy, water and education. TVA prioritizes companies with technology solutions in our focus areas.

Founded in 2012, the TVA’s mission is to make Telluride a great place to start and grow a business. Thirteen companies have raised over $8M in TVA’s first two years.

For more information about TVA, Telluride Demo Day or the Denver and San Francisco Roadshows contact Thea Chase at thea@tellurideva.com or Jesse Johnson at jesse@tellurideva.com.

Along with the Telluride Foundation, TVA is supported by individual donors and the following sponsors: Demo Day’s presenting sponsor, Blackstone Charitable Foundation; Johnson Family Foundation; High Meadows Foundation; Colorado Economic Development Commission; US Small Business Administration; Cooley LLP; Softlayer, an IBM company; Foley LLP; The Peaks Resort & Spa; ASAP Accounting and Payroll; Colorado Impact Fund; and Los Alamos National Laboratory. 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.