2023 Jones + Foster Accelerator Cohort Revealed
There’s a certain kind of magic to entrepreneurship that forces products and industries to evolve with the times or be left behind. The eight startups accepted into the 2023 cohort of the Jones + Foster Accelerator understand this. The founders of each identified spaces that demand innovative change. Now they are tasked with meeting six months of measurable goals and milestones for their ideas. Those that do may receive up to $25,000 in follow-on funding from the program hosted by the Foster School’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Washington. Along the way, they will receive mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and investors from across the region.
“This cohort is uniquely focused on consumers looking for impactful solutions to goods and services,” said Yuko Oaku, program manager for the Accelerator and the Dempsey Startup Competition. “The hope is that anyone who engages with these startups will be left empowered to embrace a rapidly changing world.”
The teams will also receive space to operate their startups in Startup Hall on the UW Seattle campus thanks to sponsorship from UW CoMotion and CoMotion Labs. The location is one of three that CoMotion Labs regularly offers for a fee to early-stage startups to grow their life science, hardware, and technology startups.
Introducing the 2023 – 2024 Accelerator cohort
Joosi | Website
Joosi is a new concept in shopping for adult products online that produces content including buying guides, educational how-to videos, real reviews, and recommendations so customers can discover, learn about, and buy all in one place.
Moco ‘n’ Mousse Snackerels | Linktree | Instagram | Facebook
Moco ‘n’ Mousse Snackerels offers a specialized line of dual cat and dog treats tailored for allergy and food sensitivities, providing a tasty and safe option to their unique dietary needs.
NaturallyContained | Website
NaturallyContained is developing compostable Coconut Coir packaging to replace industry standard single-use plastic bags in the soil manufacturing industry.
nomi | Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Nomi is an interactive, robotic pet that utilizes biofeedback to help you recognize and build a better relationship with stress.
Nowhere | Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn
Nowhere offers non-alcoholic craft beverages that use real natural ingredients from sustainable suppliers as part of its mission to connect people to their food and the environment.
Tizana Mexicana | Website | LinkedIn | Linktree
Tizana Mexicana showcases artisanal products that celebrate the vibrant culture and spirit of Mexico through unique and significant gift boxes.
OneCourt makes live sports more accessible to fans with visual disabilities by translating live data into spatial vibrations.
Yardsale Ski Co. | Website | Instagram | Facebook
Yardsale Ski Co. is a winter sports lifestyle brand which specializes in providing innovative solutions for ski gear transportation.
2023 – 2024 Accelerator Cohort Adds to Program Legacy
We’re proud to highlight the diversity and inclusivity of the 2023 cohort—from empowered female entrepreneurs and founders (Joosi, Moco ‘n’ Moose, Tizana Mexicana, NaturallyContained), to lifestyle, accessibility, health and sustainability-focused products (NaturallyContained, Nowhere, Nomi, Yardsale Ski Co., OneCourt). These teams also bring a strong resume of experience and success from their days as students.
Joosi, Tizana Mexicana, and NaturallyContained all received prizes in the 2023 Dempsey Startup Competition. OneCourt previously won the $10,000 Third Place Prize in the 2022 Dempsey Startup, the $5,000 Third Place Prize in the 2023 Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge, and has been featured in FastCompany. Nomi was a 2023 Dempsey Startup Sweet 16 finalist and also participated in the 2023 Davis Consumer Product Workshop offered by the Buerk Center. Nowhere was a finalist team in the 2023 Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge and is among six members of the cohort who are alumni (Nowhere, Tizana Mexicana, Joosi, NaturallyContained, Nomi) or current students (Yardsale Ski Co.) in the Foster School’s Master of Science in Entrepreneurship program. Also, for the first time ever, a team (Moco ‘n’ Mousse Snackerels) is representing Green River College.
The Jones + Foster Accelerator is open to teams based in Washington state who intend to launch their business in Washington as well. Awards have now been given to 82 startups through the Accelerator and 70 are still in business today—raising $3M for remote work productivity and being named Forbes ’30 under ’30 entrepreneurs (LifeAt ’21), closing a Series B funding round and solidifying its vision to phase out inefficient legacy water treatment processes (Membrion ’16), being named to a list of 25 honorees reshaping child care in communities across the United States (Bridgecare ’19), and making the list of top private companies building with AI that will “shape our future” after raising more than $22M in venture funding for its protein-discovery platform (A-Alpha Bio ’17).
JFA alumni have also been named to Forbes 30 under 30 by reducing wasted medication (Nanodropper ’19), partnered with the NFL and pivoted to masks when the need was high (Strideline ’12), achieved recognition for disrupting the knitting world and fighting for small business apps (Knitrino ’19), established a community dedicated to empowering thousands of young girls (ZGiRLS ’13), made finding scholarships for college easier for more than 13,000 students (Scholarship Junkies ’15), and built a program for elderly residents to make a therapeutic connection to nature through gardening (Eldergrow ’15).
The program is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Herbert B. Jones Foundation, program incentives like the McAleer Early Start Fund, and supporters of the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship. A special thank you also goes out to the 45+ mentors who dedicate their valuable time to helping grow the startup ecosystem in Seattle.
For more details on the Jones + Foster Accelerator, please visit startup.uw.edu or contact the Buerk Center at [email protected].
