13 Techstars Boulder alumni you should have on your radar

by Jess Ryan
May 31, 2017

Between their global accelerators, events like Startup Week and Startup Weekend, and community resources like local Startup Digests, there’s no denying Techstars has had a huge effect on tech communities around the world.

The company calls Boulder home, and their Boulder-based accelerator counts dozens of successful local startups among their alumni. We picked 13 Techstars Boulder grads that really stand out, from OG class members to newcomers on the scene.

 

Boulder’s Sphero is one of the biggest consumer tech names to come out of Colorado. The Summer 2010 grad’s connected robotic toys are designed for kids, but they’re fun for adults too. With a line of products designed to teach kids how to code, Sphero’s also in the edtech game. And, of course, their partnership with Disney to create a real-life BB-8 shot the company to notoriety before The Force Awakens hit theaters in 2015.

 

Founded in 2009, InvitedHome participated in Techstars Boulder’s 2010 class. The Boulder company combines the coziness of vacation rentals with the luxury of a hotel stay, with 24-hour guest services and employees based near their various properties. InvitedHome has raised more than $5 million to date, and they’re currently operating in nine destinations, including Telluride, Lake Tahoe and Maui.

 

While content marketing certainly has best practices, companies that use it as a main part of their growth strategy often struggle with developing processes to build a strong content marketing program. Enter Kapost, which graduated from Techstars Boulder in 2010. The company’s software platform helps users through the content marketing process, from ideation to analytics.

 

Leave it to a Colorado company to launch an online dating service for yogis. Denver’s MeetMindful graduated from Techstars Boulder in 2016. Their online platform is geared toward people living “conscious lifestyles,” who are interested in ideas and activities like meditation, yoga, spirituality and eco-friendliness. Users can list their interests and values, and MeetMindful will help them find people who are a match. Love at first “namaste.”

 

Boulder’s hobbyDB helps anyone unleash their inner nerd. The 2015 Techstars grads are building a database of every single collectible item that exists. Think classic cars, sports memorabilia, action figures and more. Whether users are looking to buy, sell or determine the value of certain items — or just want to see what’s out there — hobbyDB’s on a mission to include 100 billion items in their database.

 

Based in Broomfield, Altvia Solutions got its start in 2006 and graduated from Techstars in the early days of 2008. The company’s platform supports private equity processes, turning data into insights to help investors and companies communicate and work with one another. Their customers include VC firms, university foundations and even Family Office funds.

 

In case you weren’t aware, young adults have a lot of spending power — and brands are clamoring to scoop up their loyalty while they’re still in school. That’s good news for Boulder’s flytedesk, which graduated from Techstars in 2015. The adtech company’s platform connects brands with advertising opportunities on college campuses, like student newspapers and big events.

 

Being a sales rep in the field comes with a unique set of challenges, including keeping track of inventory at different locations. 2011 Techstars grads GoSpotCheck creates web and mobile apps to support field teams as they collect data and complete tasks. Their API even integrates with other services like Salesforce, making more information available both in the office and in the field.

 

2016 alumni Maxwell Financial Labs created a portal to help mortgage lenders take the pain out of buying a home. Their platform connects loan officers to buyers and agents, staying on top of mortgage paperwork and providing reputation management tools to lenders. The company raised a $1.3 million seed round in December and moved into a Denver office shortly after graduating from Techstars.

 

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Occipital’s undergone plenty of change since graduating Techstars in 2008. The Boulder company has ventured into the worlds of VR and AR, creating a suite of products that take 3-D measurements of rooms, objects and people, turning them into models and mixed-reality experiences.

 

Denver-based Pana seeks to bring the travel agent back into public consciousness using AI. Their platforms allow users to book travel and hotels, and a bot named Crosby learns user preferences, keeping them up-to-date as plans change. Started by CU-Boulder students, Pana graduated from Techstars in 2014.

 

 

Revolar has actually participated in multiple Techstars cohorts, including the Boulder program’s 2015 class as well as the accelerator’s partnership with Target in Minneapolis. The Denver company manufactures a connected device to help wearers alert friends and family when they may be feeling uncomfortable or unsafe. The latest version of the device also acts as an activity tracker, and it pulled in more than $150,000 in a recent Indiegogo campaign.

 

Before joining Techstars 2016 class, Denver’s Sigmend sought to become a mobile marketplace. But the team pivoted during the program, instead becoming a tool to measure employee sentiment and promote positive mental health in the workplace. Through Sigmend’s platform, companies can learn mental health “first aid” practices and take steps to promote a better workplace culture that supports neurodiversity.

 

Photos via featured companies and social media.

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