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This summer, the NYU Startup Sprint Accelerator will welcome its 5th cohort! We’ll be celebrating these anniversaries with past, present and future NYU startups all summer long, but before we officially select the next cohort (applications due March 23, 2022), we want to celebrate those who have been in their shoes.
A Lookback at the First Four Years of the NYU Startup Sprint!
Since launching in 2018, the NYU Startup Sprint has equipped selected teams with $1,000 in grant funding and rigorous training, coaching and feedback, as ventures explore the needs of their customers in search of problem-solution fit.
Alumni ventures have raised venture capital (including several from NYU’s Innovation Venture Fund) and gone on to participate in later stage accelerator programs such as Y-Combinator, Techstars and ERA NYC. 68% of past ventures are led by people of color, and 60% are led by women!
Featured Startup Sprint Alumni Ventures:
2018: Pepper: Co-founded by Lia Winograd (Stern ‘19), Pepper is a direct-to-consumer company selling bras and undergarments for small chested women, by celebrating body positivity and self-confidence. The company launched a successful Kickstarter in 2018, raised seed funding from Precursor Ventures, Break Trail Ventures, Kokopelli Capital, the NYU Innovation Venture Fund, and others.
2019: Sabai Design: Co-founded by Phantila Phataraprasit (Law ‘20) and Caitlin Ellen (Stern ‘21), Sabai designs and manufactures affordable and comprehensively sustainable furniture. The company launched their first furniture lines in 2020 and has been expanding their collection and growing like wildfire ever since. Sabai participated in Summer Launchpad in 2020.
2020: She Matters: Co-founded by Jade Kearney (Steinhardt ‘20), She Matters supports Black women who experience postpartum anxiety and/or depression through community, culturally relevant resources and culturally competent mental health care professionals. She Matters participated in Summer Launchpad in 2020, and is currently in Techstars Seattle.
2021: Visura: Co-founded by Adriana Letorney (GSAS ‘21), Visura has built a curated market-network for publishers to discover and hire the world’s top freelance visual journalists. They currently supply content and talent to publishers such as New York Times, Washington Post, and National Geographic, as well as to brands such as Patagonia. Visura participated in Summer Launchpad in 2021.
2022: Will your venture be the next successful NYU Startup Sprint team? The next Startup Sprint takes place from May 23-June 3, 2022! Learn about the program here and RSVP for an info session on February 28, March 3, March 7 or March 21 to learn how you can be next.
