Betaspring Welcomes 15 New Startups to Providence for its 6th Accelerator Session

From across the country–and the world–15 companies land in Providence to do in 12 weeks what usually takes 12 months

Fifteen U.S. and international startups – including three from India – moved into Betaspring HQ on February 11 and hit the ground running as we launched into our Spring 2013 session.

The spring cohort was selected from a talented pool of global applicants representing 20+ countries. Every session is different but, this spring, Massachusetts takes the “where’d they come from?” lead with six of the 15 companies hailing from the Bay State.  The group is rounded out with founders from New York, Rhode Island, Colorado, and Washington DC., England and India.

This is the first session that Betaspring has welcomed companies from India. With international applications on the rise, both in quality and quantity, we selected three India-based startups to join us for Betaspring’s sixth session. Our only regret is that the lads arrived smack in the middle of Blizzard Nemo, greeted with snow, wind, and hotels without electricity! With a little help, they got through it and are now thriving in New England’s startup scene.

Things heated up fast for the new arrivals last week when we kicked off  five days of back-to-back meetings that we call “Mentor Speed Dating.” Over the five days, the CEOs of each startup participating in our Spring session met individually with 50+ mentors, investors, and potential customers to test and refine their company narratives and get rapid exposure to some of the most important nodes on the Betaspring network.

Before you read more about the 15 Spring companies, RSVP now for our Open House on March 21, the midpoint of our Spring program. Come meet the companies, hear their pitches and spend quality time with Betaspring mentors, alumni and movers and shakers from the startup scene. This event has sold out three sessions in a row, so don’t wait long to claim your ticket. http://openhousespring13.eventbrite.com

Now for that part you have been waiting for: It is our pleasure to introduce the Spring 2013 Betaspring companies:

Bare Tree Media
Bare Tree Media drives engagement between popular brands and their community of fans through the creation and digital distribution of interactive entertainment on mobile and online platforms. The company has partnered with marquee brands including Garfield, Hello Kitty, Hoops&Yoyo, SmileyWorld, and The Three Stooges, as well as premier niche brands such as Domo, So So Happy, and Tokidoki. http://www.baretreemedia.com

Bolt
Bolt is the easiest and fastest way for landlords and tenants to collect and pay rent online.  http://joinbolt.com

Eventcheq
Eventcheq is an engagement platform for live events (sports, concerts, theatre and other performing arts) that makes it easier and more rewarding for fans to live, share and re-live their experiences while helping event organizers connect with their most loyal customers and attract new ones. http://eventcheq.com

Infikno
Infikno is a content delivery platform for fans and enthusiasts that delivers the content you crave about the things you love. http://infikno.com

LocusPlay
LocusPlay is a gaming platform for small and mid-size lottery operators to automate their business operations with the use of mobile and cloud powered technology.  LocusPlay helps lotteries to scale their business, lower costs and provides new distribution channels for delivering games to a wider range of customers.
http://LocusPlay.com

RaftOut
People love going to events with their friends, but getting them to commit in advance is hard.  RaftOut makes it easy for groups of friends to get organized by pulling the group’s conversation from email, text, and social media into the same web app where the ticket purchase happens.
http://www.raftout.com

Recroup 
Recroup helps job seekers stand out from the pack and helps recruiters find the right person for the job. Recroup replaces the traditional resume with a quick-to-create visual profile where job seekers can effectively promote the full spectrum of their capabilities. http://www.recroup.com

SkillHound
Sniff out the best talent on the web. SkillHound is sourcing for technical teams made easy. We use big data methods to analyze sites like Github, StackOverflow and even Twitter to reveal the very best engineers on the web.
http://skillhound.com

SplashScore
Splashscore is a Social Influence Marketing platform that identifies influential consumers on Facebook and connects them with national brands through sponsored reward campaigns   The platform currently has 10,000 active influencers with a total reach of 5 million consumers across the United States.
https://splashscore.com

Spogo
Spogo is a mobile app that enables fans to win real-world rewards for making correct predictions while they watch their favorite teams.  It serves as a fan engagement tool and second-screen marketing platform for bars, chains, stadiums and brands.
http://www.playspogo.com

ShutterCal
ShutterCal is a photo journaling community providing an inspirational place to organize, share, and print your memories and experiences, so you can focus on capturing what’s most meaningful to you each day.http://www.shuttercal.com

STEM2O
STEM2O is a pioneering learning and assessment environment that helps teachers and students build, use, and share interactive and experiential science and math learning tools, both inside and outside the classroom.http://learninghyperdrive.com

SurpriseRide
SurpriseRide delivers a monthly box of fun and educational activities for kids that fosters creativity and expands their horizons. Through careful curation, the service helps busy parents streamline and source healthy activities for their kids. http://www.surpriseride.com

ZoomTilt
ZoomTilt is a social video marketplace connecting brands with award-winning filmmakers, measurement tools and unique distribution solutions to launch branded video that is more memorable, targeted, trackable and consistently viral than traditional video advertising, and more economically sustainable for its creators. www.ZoomTilt.com

YAEMO
Today, designers, makers, and builders can choose from thousands of materials, but sourcing those materials is a cumbersome, frustrating process. YAEMO operates DesignerMaterial.com, a curated digital marketplace where companies and creatives easily discover, specify, and purchase remarkable materials, bringing their designs to life.www.yaemo.com

Now in our 6th session, Betaspring–a startup accelerator in Providence, RI–has accelerated 57 companies. Our alumni have raised more than $22M in follow-on funding and represent a diversity of industries and verticals.  Betaspring runs two sessions per year, one in spring and one in fall. Find out more at betaspring.com.

More About Betaspring
Twice a year, startups from around the country come for Betaspring’s intensive 12-week accelerator program. Our full-immersion program, which runs in both Spring and Fall, enables teams with a strong start on a high-growth venture to rapidly transform into fundable, scalable companies. We’ve accelerated 57 companies in six sessions and our alumni have raised $22M in follow-on funding.

Throughout the program, we work with our startups to refine their products/services, accelerate user/customer acquisition, and test their delivery and business models. Through interactions with Betaspring Mentors and select audiences, each startup polishes their company pitch and demo to present to investors and potential partners throughout the session, concluding with a series of launch events during week 12.

By the conclusion of the program, companies are well-positioned to attract follow-on funding or have built a path to profitability wherein they can operate without additional investment. An active alumni and mentor network sustains and supports Betaspring startups after the program as they tackle the world. Learn more or apply at betaspring.com.

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