Reporting on San Antonio’s Startups

Bunker Labs Partners with Geekdom to Support Veteran-Launched Startups

23May

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

Bunker Labs Partners with Geekdom to Support Veteran-Launched Startups

National veteran-focused nonprofit Bunker Labs and Geekdom, San Antonio’s collaborative startup community, have partnered to support veterans and service members transitioning from a military career to entrepreneurship.Bunker Labs supports veterans virtually and with in-person entrepreneurial programs in almost 40 major cities across the U.S. The San Antonio chapter first launched in 2016, only to shut down during the height of the pandemic in 2020. CEO Blake Hogan said Bunker Labs has since relaunched its three main programs in San Antonio.Read: Bunker Labs Relaunches San Antonio Chapter to Support Veteran Startups One of Bunker Labs' programs is their Veterans in Residence business incubator for veteran-owned and military spouse-owned startups. Bunker Labs is partnering with Gee...

VelocityTX TechNovum accelerator graduates 5 new life science startups

11May

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

Articles, Featured

VelocityTX TechNovum accelerator graduates 5 new life science startups

The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio hosted a demo day Tuesday showcasing life science researchers who participated in UT Health’s six-week TechNovum accelerator program. VelocityTX, a San Antonio-based nonprofit innovation center, signed an agreement with UT Health San Antonio in February to run TechNovum. The TechNovum accelerator program was first launched in 2019 to support UT Health investigators interested in learning entrepreneurship to commercialize their inventions. Read: VelocityTX signs UT Health San Antonio agreement to run TechNovum accelerator The cohort included six UT Health San Antonio researchers from five new companies developing advances for the market. Jeremy Davis is an associate professor in UT’s Department of Neurology and Glenn Biggs Ins...

PorchPass Hires Rackspace Co-Founder to Scale Fintech Platform

10May

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

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PorchPass Hires Rackspace Co-Founder to Scale Fintech Platform

PorchPass, a financial technology (fintech) app developed by Braustin Homes, has hired software developer Dirk Elmendorf, Rackspace Technology co-founder, along with Jobward developers Brett Elmendorf, Natalie Karney, and Emily Rodriguez to help scale the San Antonio startup’s fintech platform.PorchPass is the first fintech app designed for land buyers, sellers, and dealerships in the manufactured housing sector. Braustin Homes created PorchPass as a cash-backed solution to streamline the new home construction process for manufactured homes.While Braustin Homes addressed the need for a streamlined home-buying experience — something co-founder and CEO Alberto Piña discovered the U.S. homebuilding industry overall wrestles with — one critical piece was missing. These same buyers ofte...

Cybersecurity accelerator gener8tor admits 5 startups to its Spring 2023 cohort

28Apr

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

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Cybersecurity accelerator gener8tor admits 5 startups to its Spring 2023 cohort

gener8tor, a San Antonio-based startup accelerator, has recruited five security tech-focused startups for its Spring 2023 cybersecurity accelerator cohort.The Madison, Wisconsin-based nationally-ranked program is a member of the Global Accelerator Network. gener8tor invests in high-growth startups working on security technology solutions, supporting them via its network of experienced mentors, technologists, corporate partners, angel investors, and venture capitalists.The program is open to startups across the U.S. Each cohort in the cybersecurity accelerator will feature five companies participating in a 12-week program. Each company will receive a $100,000 investment from gener8tor in exchange for 7.5% equity. Founders will meet with gener8tor-vetted investors during the final we...

New BexarBio pitch competition May 1 features biomedical startups

27Apr

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

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New BexarBio pitch competition May 1 features biomedical startups

VelocityTX is hosting an inaugural pitch competition for biotech entrepreneurs on May 1. The BexarBio pitch competition, sponsored by Bexar County’s Economic and Community Development Department, will feature four biomedical startups competing for $100,000 in cash prizes.The competition takes place 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Free tickets to attend are available here.The BexarBio finalists include Betty's Co., HERA Biotech, Neuro Rehab VR, and NeuraStasis.Betty's Co won first place in the 2021 TechFuel pitch competition. San Antonio-based founder and CEO Jennifer Newell launched a virtual care platform for young women in Texas that aims to grow into an online health store and mobile clinic focused on women's healthcare.San Antonio startup H...

Port San Antonio approves design phase for innovative office tower

13Apr

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Port San Antonio approves design phase for innovative office tower

Port San Antonio is moving ahead with its plan to add a 300,000-square-foot office tower to its expansive innovation-focused campus. The Port’s redevelopment plans for the former Kelly Air Force base southwest of downtown include a new multistory office tower that will house DeLorean Motor Co., a lab that simulates lunar terrain, and a “vertiport” for electric takeoff and landing vehicles. Thursday afternoon, the Port’s Board of Directors approved an agreement not to exceed $2 million with the Trammell Crow Company (TCC) for pre-development work on the state-of-the-art office tower at the intersection of Billy Mitchell Blvd. and General Hudnell Dr., the Port’s main entrance. TCC is a leading global commercial real estate developer and a wholly owned subsidiary of CBRE Group, Inc.“Tram...

Here’s who’s pitching April 19 at BioMedSA BioFest 2023

9Apr

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

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Here’s who’s pitching April 19 at BioMedSA BioFest 2023

BioMedSA, a member-driven organization promoting healthcare and biomedical industries in San Antonio, is hosting its annual spring event for bioscience entrepreneurs. The nonprofit is holding its annual BioFest Invest on April 19, starting at 8:00 am at the University of the Incarnate Word's Sky Room. BioFest Invest connects potential investors nationwide with Texas bioscience companies seeking investment funding while sharing best practices, connections, and valuable advice."Collaboration is embedded in the life science industry, as companies routinely connect with other organizations in San Antonio," BioMedSA CEO Heather Hanson said. "BioMedSA facilitates those collaborations as a hub for the life science industry in San Antonio."The day-long event, supported by over 40 spons...

Peterson Partners provides $50M in growth capital for Dura Software

4Apr

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

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Peterson Partners provides $50M in growth capital for Dura Software

Dura Software, a San Antonio-based holding company specializing in acquiring and scaling hyper-niche software products, has secured up to $50 million in investment from Peterson Private Equity.Peterson Partners is an independent investment firm with over $2 billion under management across private equity and venture capital. Peterson Partners has invested in more than 250 companies across a wide range of industries, including Allbirds, Vivint, Packsize, Lucid Software, and Azul.Dura is an entirely new type of software-focused company that acquires and operates B2B (business-to-business) software companies with the intent never to sell them. Founded by Paul Salisbury, Dura's CEO, San Antonio entrepreneur Michael Girdley, executive chairman, and chief financial officer Chris Burney, ...

Allosense joins TechStars Industries of the Future Accelerator

4Apr

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

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Allosense joins TechStars Industries of the Future Accelerator

Allosense, a San Antonio advanced technology startup producing advanced sensors and measurement solutions, announced Tuesday it would join the Techstars Industries of the Future program. This TechStars accelerator program supports world-class startups working on emerging technologies across industries, including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, quantum information science, 5G/advanced wireless technology, biotechnology, and clean energy technology.Allosense is one of 10 startups selected for the second class of the Techstars Industries of the Future Program. Only 1% of applicants are chosen to be invited to the Techstars program.“I’m looking for breakthrough technologies that have the potential to change the world,” said Tricia Martinez, managing director of Techsta...

gener8tor startup Blocmount aims to protect industrial control systems

20Mar

By Iris GonzalezNo Comments

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gener8tor startup Blocmount aims to protect industrial control systems

It’s not your imagination – cyber breaches in industrial control systems are rising.In February 2021, a hacker gained access to the computer system at the Oldsmar water treatment plant in Florida and briefly increased the level of sodium hydroxide in the water to a dangerous level. The breach was quickly detected, and no one was harmed, but it highlighted the vulnerability of critical infrastructure systems to cyber attacks. In May of the same year, the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies fuel to much of the eastern United States, was hit by a ransomware attack that forced the company to shut down its pipeline for several days. The attack caused widespread fuel shortages and panic buying in many parts of the country.These attacks represent the growing need for an innovative solut...