Original post found on Northwest Florida Daily News.
FORT WALTON BEACH — The inaugural class of veteran-owned companies that will be part of the city’s business accelerator program have been announced.
The Venture Hive Accelerator, a partnership between the city of Fort Walton Beach and Venture Hive, was started to cultivate veteran and military family owned businesses that closely aligned to the city’s economic plans going forward. Fort Walton Beach and Venture Hive announced the new partnership in April of this year.
In an effort to stimulate economic activity in Fort Walton Beach, the city has allocated $500,000 for the program.
“With applicants from across the U.S., we are thrilled to have four military services represented and such great diversity of products and services among our first class,” said Susan Amat, founder of Venture Hive. “Tech companies, products, and services providers – all ready to go to the next level. And the incredible business and tech community in Fort Walton Beach is ready to welcome them with open arms.”
Benefits of participating in the first class of the Venture Hive Fort Walton Beach Accelerator include a $25,000 non-equity grant, a world-class curriculum of highly practical workshops and training sessions, free working space in Fort Walton Beach for a year, exposure to qualified investors and a demo day celebration during Veterans Day week.
The seven businesses selected to be part of the inaugural class are:
– Black Thursday, a Beverly Hills based initiative focused on shining a spotlight on local small businesses by increasing their visual presence and providing residents convenient shopping alternatives.
– Cognitive Big Data Systems, a Pensacola-based software company that builds sensor-based neural memories of various objects, images, people and data in the form of computer code.
– Dreamhighr, a Chicago-based SAAS platform that utilizes optimized matching algorithms and data mining to connect enterprises with ideal candidates. This user-friendly Sourcing software will free talent managers from costly and erroneous third party headhunting services.
– Field Vine, a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,-based mobile app that helps property managers, general contractors and construction companies keep tabs on projects, collaborate with teams in the field and stay compliant with local code requirements.
– Luxury Aerial Shots, an Ocala-based aerial photography and cinematography solution to capture luxurious assets via a small drone. LAS is an affordable, yet effective marketing tool for a diverse range of clients.
– MrQuickPick, a Louisville-based service that delivers fast and affordable roadside assistance for unlocking cars, jump starts, tire-changes and gas delivery.
– Wimage, a Minneapolis-based platform that allows users to express their ideas, regardless of disability or creative experiences, enabling them to share visual stories with their social circles.
