Techstars on Wednesday morning announced the launch of the Techstars Impact Accelerator, its first program aimed at for-profit startups that are tackling social and environmental problems.
The accelerator will be based in Austin. Applications open in December. The program kicks off in June of 2018. Zoe Schlag, the program’s Managing Director. Since 2014, Schlag has run UnLtd USA in Austin as its founder and CEO. The accelerator program backed entrepreneurs on a similar mission as the Techstars Impact Accelerator.
The accelerator is focused on financial services, healthcare, education, agriculture, and energy.
“UnLtd USA will join forces with Techstars to bring its global network in the impact space to the Techstars Impact Accelerator,” Schlag wrote in a blog post. “Meanwhile, since Techstars launched 10 years ago, we have had a deeply held belief that some of our biggest global challenges also represent some of our biggest opportunities, so investing in world-class, mission-driven founders is deeply embedded in our DNA.”
The Techstars Impact Accelerator fund is backed by Morgan Stanley, Impact America Fund and Cotter Cunningham, CEO of RetailMeNot.
Techstars has seen an average of 50 percent growth in startups tackling social impact issues over the last three years.
“Over the last several years, we have made several investments into impact companies, including category leaders such as Zipline, which builds drones to deliver crucial medical supplies in Africa; Aunt Bertha, the #1 ranked social service search and referrals platform; and Connxus, a supplier management solution that allows buyers to achieve their goals of responsible and sustainable sourcing,” according to Schlag.
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