Posted by Julie Penner

Julie Penner is currently working as Director at Techstars Boulder. Prior to Techstars, Julie worked as VP of Operations for Graphicly, an automated ebooks conversion and distribution platform.

Announcing the Class for Techstars Boulder 2019

Julie PennerPosted by Julie Penner in Accelerators, Announcements, Boulder

We’re excited to announce the 10 companies joining Techstars Class 156 as part of Techstars Boulder. This is the 13th class in Boulder since Techstars got its start right here in 2007! Some highlights from the class are:

  • The class includes companies based in Colorado, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and India.
  • More than half the founders come from underrepresented groups in the startup ecosystem, and a quarter of the founders are immigrants to the U.S.
  • This class includes a mobility company and a space company, two firsts for the Boulder program.
  • There are six Colorado-based companies in this year’s class, more than recent years.

“We’re excited about the diversity in this class, working in industries and business models we know as well new ones, because we’re confident in the experience and expertise of our mentors. They have so much depth, they are able to propel a wide variety of companies to the best outcomes,” said Natty Zola, Managing Director of Techstars Boulder.

The foundation of the program remains steady as we enter our 13th program in Boulder. We’re committed to connecting companies to fantastic local mentors and to our over 10,000 mentors worldwide, part of an ever-growing worldwide network to help entrepreneurs succeed. We continue to help companies grow thoughtfully and intentionally from the inside out, our way of accelerating the people at the core of the company. We cultivate cutting-edge practices and principles to help companies thrive while they go fast and turn motion into progress. And of course, we help the companies meet key investors who can join the journey and help companies get to their next milestones.

2019 Techstars Boulder Class:

Atomos – helps commercial space operators solve a “last-mile” problem by moving satellites from low-Earth to high orbits using space tugs—reusable spacecraft optimized for flight in space and between orbits

Vanessa Clark, William Kowalski – founders@atomosnuclear.com (Denver, CO)

CometChat – enables developers to add voice, video, and text chat to their apps and websites to power user-to-user communication

Anuj Garg, Anant Garg – founders@cometchat.com (Mumbai, India)

Joust – simplifies financial management for freelancers and entrepreneurs through an FDIC-insured bank account, a merchant account, and PayArmour, an invoicing tool that guarantees invoices

Lamine Zarrad, George Kurtyka – founders@joust.com (Denver, CO)

LuDela – brings light and ambiance to consumers’ homes through real flame smart candles

Jamie Bianchini – founders@ludela.com (Bend, OR)

Sheets & Giggles – makes buying bedding fun, entertaining, and sustainable for consumers by selling eucalyptus bed sheets through an entertaining brand

Colin McIntosh – founders@sheetsgiggles.com (Denver, CO)

Soona – enables brands to create affordable, predictable, and beautiful content through a same-day photo and video solution  

Elizabeth Giorgi – founders@soona.co (Denver, CO)

Ramp USA – building the world’s lightest and fastest electric wheelchair – a sub-30lb electric vehicle for your butt.

Mel Jack Du, Amro Eltayeb, Roman Sandoval – founders@ramp.us (Denver, CO)

Tripcents – helps travelers save for their next trip by combining proactive savings technology with vacation options that fit their interests and budget

Brantley Pace, Beau Bergman, Jennifer McMillen, Charles Arcodia – founders@tripcents.co (Denver, CO)

Unbird – helps product and marketing teams make better decisions by aggregating and categorizing free-form qualitative customer data to uncover insights

Jeff Whitlock, Cameron Nuckols – founders@unbird.com (Salt Lake City, UT)

Veho – enables e-commerce brands to offer a differentiated delivery experience through crowdsourced drivers who deliver next day and app-based communication

Ita Zur, Fred Cook – founders@shipveho.com (Boulder, CO)







Upcoming Events to Learn More About Techstars Boulder

Julie PennerPosted by Julie Penner in Accelerators, Boulder

The Techstars Boulder Accelerator is accepting applications until October 14! Check out all the events to learn more about the program and to connect with Natty Zola (Managing Director) and Julie Penner (Program Director).

Office hours

Techstars Boulder office hours in Boulder and Denver all through August, September and October. Meetings can be in-person or remote.

Dedicated office hours specifically for underrepresented entrepreneurs (women, people of color, veterans, founders over age 50, LGBTQ, etc.). These can be in person or on the phone/video.

Local Info Session Events

Out of Town Info Session Events

  • Cincinnati – August 27-28 – Office hours and info session in Cincinnati – Natty Zola (RSVP link coming soon)
  • Nashville — August 29–- 36|86 event. Please reach out if you’d like to meet.
  • Salt Lake City – September 13th – Office hours from 10 – 12 and 1:20 – 3:40
  • Book office hours with Natty Zola – https://tsboulder-slc.youcanbook.me
  • Book office hours with Julie Penner – https://juliepennersalt.youcanbook.me
  • Sandy, UT – September 13th Techstars Info Session from 12 – 1 – Natty Zola and Julie Penner at the Salt Mines, 7984 S 1300 E, Sandy, UT 84094 (RSVP link coming soon)
  • Bozeman – September 21st 11am-1pm & 2-5pm – Office Hours in Bozeman – Julie Penner, Jabs Hall, MSU, Bozeman
  • Bozeman – September 22nd – Early Stage Montana Statewide Showcase, Bozeman Montana
  • Virtual – September 17th 10-11am – Techstars Boulder AMA (Ask me Anything)
  • Toronto/Montreal – October 1st and 2nd – Office hours and pitch competition. Email Natty if interested.
  • New York City – October 3rd – Techstars Meet & Greet and office hours. Email Natty if interested.
  • Minneapolis – October 9th – Office hours in Minneapolis – Email Natty if interested.