LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 20, 2023--
Nine startup companies have been accepted into the Long Beach Accelerator’s sixth cohort for a four-month training and support program to help them increase their growth.
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The Long Beach Accelerator is a nonprofit public-private partnership formed by the city of Long Beach, CSULB Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Sunstone Management. (Photo: Business Wire)
Long Beach Accelerator (LBA) is a nonprofit tech startup resource formed in partnership with California State University, Long Beach’s Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Sunstone Management and the city of Long Beach. It provides a four-month program of coaching, mentoring, workshops and presentations from successful entrepreneurs, CEOs and startup founders. Cohort members also will receive capital funding of up to $150,000 through Sunstone Management.
“This is a group of very cohesive and dynamic companies and founders,” Andrea White-Kjoss, LBA managing director, said. “Most of them are B-to-B (Business to Business) and SaaS (Software as a Service), and there is a lot of synergy there. The cohort is also well-balanced, both in terms of verticals (business lines) and in minority- and women-owned businesses. We’re really impressed with what we’ve seen so far.”
LBA welcomed its first cohort of founders in February 2021. Since then, 37 companies have completed the program, and have generated $15 million in revenue, $25 million in investment and received eight acquisition offers.
“It’s hard to picture a more successful start of an accelerator than what we’ve seen in Long Beach,” said John Keisler, CEO and managing partner of Sunstone Management, and one of the founders of the LBA. “The program has done a great job of supporting and training up these entrepreneurs to become successful, enriching our community in the process.”
Here are the nine companies in the summer 2023 program, and a bit about what they do.
- Businesswise is a B2B podcast ad marketplace providing a space for buying, operating, and optimizing podcast ads.
- Exchvnge offers a community-driven freemium social marketplace for independent fashion resellers.
- Flute Technologies Inc. is developing an app connecting influencers with premium wine and alcohol brands.
- GoFlyy powers premium try-on experiences for fashion ecommerce brands.
- Gotchoo is an online gift-giving service offering an alternative to gift cards.
- Kenko Integrated Physical Therapy aims to eradicate chronic pain with a platform that fosters continuous engagement between physical therapists and their patients.
- Practice Axis is a HIPAA-compliant customer relations management tool enabling private mental health providers the ability to scale up while increasing access to care.
- Productions.com is a talent solution connecting movie, television, and event brands with local production talent.
- Scedugame is a mobile app that enables gamers to establish deep connections with other gamers.
The Long Beach Accelerator and Sunstone Management are members of the Launch Beach collaboration started by Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson to help bring 100 new startup companies to that city in the next five years.
For more about the Long Beach Accelerator, go to lbaccerator.org.
About Long Beach Accelerator
The Long Beach Accelerator provides early-stage tech startups with the resources and runway they need to flourish. The LBA has a current application cycle open for Cohort 7. The LBA is a public-private partnership between the city of Long Beach, Sunstone Management, and CSULB and has been named one of Southern California’s top tech accelerators by dot.LA.
About Sunstone Management
Sunstone Management is a diversified private capital management firm with headquarters in Southern California that provides a range of early-stage venture capital, real estate, and fixed income funds to qualified and accredited investors. The firm delivers new and exciting options for economic growth through innovative public-private partnerships, making use of its unique experience across government, education, and private sectors. Identified by Financial Times as one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies three years in a row. Connect with Sunstone Management at:
LinkedIn|Twitter|Facebook|Crunchbase|Pitchbook
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230720870138/en/
CONTACT: Jennifer Huang
Sunstone Management
(562) 732-0617
Jennifer.huang@sunstoneinvestment.com
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TECHNOLOGY FINANCE CONSULTING BANKING OTHER TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUSINESS TRAINING UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
SOURCE: Sunstone Management
Copyright Business Wire 2023.
PUB: 07/20/2023 05:54 PM/DISC: 07/20/2023 05:53 PM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230720870138/en
