Another cohort of gBETA Oklahoma City recently wrapped up following seven weeks of lectures, coaching and mentoring, capped off with an opportunity to pitch their startup companies to various prospective investors. The gBETA Oklahoma City program is a product of global venture firm and startup accelerator gener8tor that provides local early-stage companies with valuable mentorship, business plan support and connections to funders designed to support companies preparing for long-term funding. The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Inasmuch Foundation, American Fidelity, Square Deal Capital, Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma and Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores partnered with gener8tor in 2021 to bring the gBETA program to Oklahoma City. Three cohorts have now cycled through the OKC program since its inception. The next cohort begins April 13. “Our original goal when we helped launch this program was to add a needed pre-accelerator program into the existing mix of incubator, mentorship, founder and business plan programs in the market to reach deeper into the market to find new business ideas. I think we’re seeing that play out,” said Jeff Seymour, the Chamber’s executive vice president of economic development. Program Director Elizabeth Larios recently joined the gBETA leadership team after serving in various roles with GBETA OKLAHOMA CITY WRAPS UP THIRD COHORT; NEXT COHORT STARTS IN SPRING
The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City. She said her favorite part about gBETA is it offers a high-quality product at no cost to the participants. Larios said they received about 30 applications for the fall cohort, and five companies were chosen following a rigorous selection process. Through the seven-week program, the companies were able to make pitches to nearly 30 different investors, she said, three of which received a combined investment of $180,000. “All around, it was a success. In addition, they were also able to meet with more than 35 mentors , and those are just connections that hopefully add value to their company throughout their lifetime,” Larios said. A diverse group of companies comprised the fall 2022 cohort, including a pair of retail-related companies and a logistics startup as well as bioscience and education- related companies: • Apexloads – Connects cargo owners with transporters to streamline the freight-truck matching process and facilitate faster payments through an online marketplace. • B.A.B. – Created a universal shopping cart that allows users to add different items from different stores, all in one place. Shoppers can then compare products, curate a collection and save selections when shopping online. • Gleu – Provides fashion retailers and brands with a B2B streamlined experience for managing their wholesale workflow, making it easier for them to connect, stay organized and handle the tedious behind-the-scenes logistics of market and fashion week. • LevlEd – Gamifies Digital Portfolio creation using a Learn-to-Earn platform that rewards member experiences and site engagement with scholarships, internships and mentorships. • Sci-Lume Labs – Pioneers new biobased and biodegradable materials to replace traditional petroleum-derived plastics.
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