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Iowa G2M Accelerator announces the 5 startups in its first cohort

February 23, 2021

The Iowa Go-To-Market (G2M) Accelerator has announced the five startups that will make up its inaugural 2021 cohort.

The G2M Accelerator is designed to support Iowa companies developing technology-driven innovative products or services that have participated in another incubator, accelerator, or business assistance program, but could benefit from additional focused, customized guidance getting to market.

The inaugural G2M cohort was announced today during a Startup Community Celebration which also honored the graduating ISU Startup Factory Cohort 8 members.

“The partners who envisioned the G2M accelerator are all excited to see it coming to life,” said Jim Register in an announcement. “The inaugural G2M cohort reflects the growing strength of the high-tech startup community in Iowa and we look forward to helping them on their journey to commercial success.”

The following five companies have been accepted into the inaugural 2021 G2M cohort:

CartilaGen (Iowa City)

CartilaGen was founded around a medical technology developed in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Iowa. CartilaGen’s product can prevent the onset of post-traumatic osteoarthritis, an entirely novel feat, fulfilling a clear, unmet medical need. 

Classroom Clinic (Carroll)

Classroom Clinic provides rural school districts with timely and convenient access to children’s mental health services through the use of telehealth technologies.

FBB Biomed (Coralville)

FBB Biomed is a biotechnology company creating blood and saliva tests to predict patients’ health outcomes.

Mazen Animal Health (Ames and St. Joseph, MO)

Mazen Animal Health, Inc. is developing and commercializing orally-delivered animal vaccines that revolutionize animal disease prevention and provide elegant solutions to the challenges associated with injectable vaccines.

Sushi3D (Ames)

Sushi3D helps product designers keep their projects on track through rapid delivery of machined prototype parts. The company is building a network of local machine shops and providing them with the technology to automate quoting, planning, and programming to reduce their lead times.

The descriptions of the companies listed above have been provided by Iowa G2M Accelerator.

Previous coverage

An in-depth look at Iowa’s new ‘G2M’ Accelerator -Dec. 7, 2020

Iowa organizations receive funding to launch ‘Iowa Go-To-Market program’ -Sept. 24, 2020

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Iowa G2M Accelerator announces the 5 startups in its first cohort | Clay & Milk
A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.
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