2nd eFactory accelerator cohort draws outside companies

The eFactory announced yesterday the five companies that will be participating in the second cohort of its accelerator program. The list includes two relocating from out of state.

The program invests $30,000 in each of the companies in exchange for 5 percent equity. It starts Feb. 6, according to a news release from Missouri State University’s eFactory.

The five companies, in alphabetical order, are:
    •    Apt Crowd, a local text analytics company founded by Chad Boschert that targets engineering technical communities;
    •    Let’s Do Lunch, a company founded by local resident Hector Cruz to strategically organize personal and business lunches;
    •    Pull Up a Seat, an Orlando, Florida-based private community marketplace created by Camille Baker that connects consumers with on-demand home cooking;
    •    Reaction, Stuart Emerson’s Birmingham, Alabama-based mobile platform that offers surveys for on-site special promotions; and
    •    Solely Jolie, Springfieldian Amy Blansit’s water-free solution to keep makeup brushes clean.

Pull Up A Seat and Reaction are both relocating to Springfield, according to the release.

Along with the investment, the companies will receive office space at the downtown eFactory, business consulting, mentorships, discounts to services and customized presentations from industry professionals.

Last year, the program accelerated four startups – Eagle Speak, Mofin Labs, Shopzeely and The Daily Scholar. The program allows for up to five companies to be chosen per cohort, according to Brian Kincaid, director of The eFactory. Kincaid said via email the companies selected are chosen by an independent investment committee.

The eFactory has scheduled a Feb. 6 open house to introduce the accelerator companies, according to the release.


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