The Iron Yard Ventures

News and Updates

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Announcing the Las Vegas Hospitality Accelerator powered by Iron Yard Ventures

Iron Yard Ventures is excited to announce the launch of our Las Vegas Hospitality Accelerator in downtown Las Vegas. This program is focused on fast-tracking innovation in hospitality and gaming by connecting top early-stage startups with industry-leading corporations in Las Vegas.

The mission of Iron Yard Ventures is to support founders in building strong, sustainable businesses that add real value to their customer’s lives. Our Las Vegas Hospitality Accelerator will focus on Las Vegas seed stage companies, and bringing other top entrepreneurs to Las Vegas to build their companies in the center of the global hospitality industry.

In addition to the new program, we are excited to welcome Ryan Negri to the Iron Yard Ventures team as Managing Director of our Las Vegas programs. Ryan is an experienced founder and investor who brings with him an incredible background, network and drive to help the startups and founders we work with in Las Vegas. You can read from Ryan and why he is the best person to lead this program for us, in his own words here.

This is an exciting new phase for Iron Yard Ventures as this is our first full Iron Yard Ventures Accelerator program in a city with an already established Iron Yard Academy. We are excited to be working with local startups and entrepreneurs as well as some of the largest companies working to transform the Hospitality and Gaming industry in the heart of Las Vegas.

If you are a startup or founder, applications are now open and you can apply here.

For more information about our Las Vegas Hospitality Accelerator and to stay up to date on new announcements, sign up here.

We will be announcing additional partnerships and new program details in the coming weeks. Until then the important information is:

Who: Iron Yard Ventures, corporate partners and early stage technology companies

What: Las Vegas Hospitality Accelerator investing in early stage technology companies

Where: Downtown Las Vegas

When: Program begins in Fall 2016, applications open now!

Why: A unique opportunity to bring together top entrepreneurs, early stage technology companies and innovative corporations to grow real, sustainable businesses in the hospitality and gaming industry.

Who is Iron Yard Ventures?

Iron Yard Ventures is a network of nationally ranked programs for startups and the people who start them. Iron Yard Ventures exists to create exceptional value for people and their ideas through startup accelerators and programming for startup founders. Since 2012, Iron Yard Ventures has invested in more than 50 early stage technology companies which have gone on to raise more than $70 million in follow-on capital. In 2015 and 2016 Iron Yard Ventures was named as one of the top startup accelerator programs in the US.

For more information contact hello @ ironyardventures.com.

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Why Iron Yard Ventures is excited to partner with HubX

By now you may have heard about our newest partnership with HubX - a life science accelerator with an important twist. We are excited about this new program as well as the future it holds for great founders and Iron Yard Ventures.

We have now run five accelerator cohorts at Iron yard Ventures, investing in more than 50 startup companies and the incredible founders behind them over the last four years. Over this time we have learned quite a lot about how we can best have a clear and likely benefit on the entrepreneurs we work with and how to help them get to the next stage of their venture. Now four years, five cohorts and countless hours of hard work into this grand experiment, the best part is witnessing the real world impact our companies are having on their customers lives.

One of the lessons we have learned after investing in more than 50 startups is how critically important a great network and partner support is to early stage companies looking to bring their product to market. In healthcare this need for access to customers, users and other partners is particularly important. Ask any healthcare startup founder and they will agree that the sales cycle for healthcare companies can be painfully long. Large organizations with decision matrices can leave startups in limbo for too long. At the same time many corporations are searching for ways to innovate faster and adapt to rapidly changing markets - while working closer with quality startups.

About a year ago, as we were preparing for our fifth accelerator cohort and just as The Iron Yard Academy was launching a code school campus in Little Rock, Arkansas, a group of leaders from Little Rock approached us with their plan to run an accelerator with a focus on solving the access problem for entrepreneurs in healthcare as well as helping leading corporations become more innovative in adopting technology.

This group included a dedicated group of entrepreneurs, investors and perhaps most importantly - leadership from large healthcare providers and payers.

Over the last year we have worked diligently with this group to help them launch the HubX Life Science Accelerator with partnership from both Baptist Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Baptist Health and BCBS leadership have committed to investing unparalleled time and resources in the companies participating in the HubX program. This includes up to $50,000 in upfront investment, unparalleled access to decision makers as well as the opportunity for pilots and strategic follow-on investment once the product is in market and the entrepreneurs need to grow.

We are excited to be working with the leadership team at HubX, Baptist Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub and the many other leaders who are involved in building a powerful network for the entrepreneurs taking part in the program. If you have any questions about the HubX program check them out here or email [email protected]. If you are a founder of a startup that is looking to work with leading providers or payers, applications for startups are open now.

This is the first of several new initiatives for us at Iron Yard Ventures in 2016 as we continue our focus on helping great entrepreneurs build strong, sustainable businesses that add real value to customer’s lives. Stay tuned for more :)

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Play-it Health wins Prime Health Digital Health Challenge

Our 2015 Digital Health Accelerator Demo Day was on August 13th. While demo day marks the end of the accelerator the companies have not slowed down as they continue to focus on hitting their next critical milestones.

One company in particular continues to roll along. Play-it Health, which builds software for medication and behavioral adherence is 1 of 9 companies from Iron Yard Venture’s 2015 Digital Health Accelerator cohort. 

We are proud to share that Play-it Health was one of the eight winning innovations at the 2015 Prime Health Digital Health Challenge in Denver, Colorado.  The competition offered the startups an opportunity to pitch to 17 healthcare institutions which bid on pilots to test the products and earn $150,000 in seed money provided by the Colorado Health Foundation. As a result, Play-it Health was awarded bids from Kaiser Permanente, HCA Healthcare, University of Colorado and Presbyterian St. Lukes. Additionally, they received interest in two other pilot opportunities.

The entire week was a whirlwind for Kim Gandy, CEO of Play-it Health, and her team. The following week they joined the other 8 alumni companies from our 2015 Digital Health Accelerator cohort for our Silicon Valley Demo Day at the 9th Annual Health 2.0 Fall conference.

Denver’s Digital Health and startup scene made an impression on Kim and we asked her what impressed her the most about the week she spent there and the Prime Health challenge. Her response:

“I was blown away by the energy, collaborative spirit and efficiency getting that many large Digital Health players under the same hood. Their policy for startup pitches and pitch events is outstanding. I believe they are going to become one of the dominant centers of Digital Health in the world. It was a pleasure to participate in Denver Startup week and it was an excellent representation of their great startup culture in the area.”

The week packed full of opportunities was a crucial step in Play-it Health reaching their next milestones. Landing pilot bids from major health players and being part of the $150,000 award money is invaluable for startups like Play-it Health.  All of this was followed byour Silicon Valley Demo Day at Health 2.0 which gained the company additional exposure globally and opened the door with groups interested in their next round of funding.

Play-it Health is a great example of a company building products to change the daily lives of their customers. That said, if you would like to learn more about Play-it Health, what they’re up to, or where they’re heading next we encourage you to reach out to their team.

If you would like to get in touch with Kim send her an email at [email protected]

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Meet  Todd Heidenreich, Developer in Residence

We are proud to introduce you to Todd Heidenreich, Developer in Residence for the 2015 Digital Health Accelerator Program.  Todd has been a huge help to all nine companies in the accelerator program and he continues to help the teams keep pushing forward.  His hard work is inspiring and his sense of humor is admirable.  We asked Todd to take a little time and tell you a little more about himself.  So without further ado, meet Todd Heidenreich!

Hello.  I am Todd Heidenreich and you are not. Currently, I am the Developer in Residence for the 2015 Iron Yard Ventures Digital Health Accelerator.

My road to The Iron Yard Ventures Digital Health Accelerator was less than direct. Previously I had careers in food and parks and rec while living in Ohio, North Carolina, and Florida.  A couple of years ago I decided to do something new and challenging that led me to the Iron Yard Academy Front End Engineering program.  After completing the program I worked in Laurens for Piedmont Rural Telephone Cooperative and then a Michelin funded Start-Up.   My wife, two kids and I live in Moore, South Carolina.  My oldest son attends Clemson University and my youngest son attends Byrnes High School.  We enjoy hiking all over the Upstate and surfing on the coast!  My family and I also like to participate in some family disc golf competitions.   My role at the Accelerator is to provide development help to the 9 companies. This could be anything from creating a new marketing website to setting up the data structure of an application.  The varied work and the dedicated founders make the Developer in Residence position an absolute pleasure.  I look forward to the success that all the Accelerator companies will have.  

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Meet Lance Putnam, Designer in Residence

We are excited to have our Lance Putnam onboard as the Designer-in-Residence for the 2015 Digital Health Accelerator. His crisp clean designs, hustle and friendly attitude make him a great fit for the role.  We encourage you to meet him, but in the meantime we’ll let him tell you his story..

Its been a little over a year since I started a whole new journey at The Iron Yard Academy– a journey that awakened me and led me down a new route with a fervor for user interface design and development. I love The Iron Yard and everything this community of leaders, teachers, developers, and entrepreneurs stand for - so much so that I had to figure out a way to become involved with The Iron Yard again. Now, a year after completing my Iron Yard Academy degree in Front-End Engineering, I am working at Iron Yard Ventures as the designer-in-residence.

The entrepreneurial mentality has always been instilled in me - so just two weeks after graduating from Presbyterian College with a degree in the Visual Arts, I took the leap and started classes in the first cohort of Clemson's MBA in Entrepreneurship program. Going from the arts to business was a bit of a shakeup for me, but the abstract thinking and experiential approaches that are taught in the arts served me well in the entrepreneurially focused business program. The classes all revolved around owning and operating our own businesses; it was journey of greater self-discovery for me, and one where my passion for startups and innovation was sparked even more so.

I became a full-time employee before graduating from Clemson, but soon learned that I wanted an even greater hand in building and designing something to solve problems. So I decided to take part in The Iron Yard Academy to hone in on a skill that I have long admired and one that would aid me in my entrepreneurial endeavors in the future. The Iron Yard was unlike anything I had ever done before - it was fast-paced, intense, and there were many sleepless nights, but it validated me and I knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing.  Within weeks of finishing the academy, I was employed as a User Interface and Experience Designer with a national brand.

My desire to become involved with The Iron Yard and this talented and entrepreneurial  group again was weighing heavy on me though. So when the opportunity arose to work with the Digital Health Accelerator, I jumped at the chance. I thrive on the energy and passion that is present everyday among these startups and will do whatever it takes to see each of them succeed in achieving their dreams. While I do not have my own startup just yet, I can see it on the horizon. Being at Iron Yard Ventures has allowed me to take part in mentor and brainstorming sessions and to live somewhat vicariously through these startups right now.

What The Iron Yard has created is extraordinary. I am the eternal proponent for this company and in all the lives and companies that they have made an impact on. It is an honor to work for this team and I am excited to see where this journey leads for myself, The Iron Yard, and the nine startups changing the playing field in the health and wellness industry.

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Floating Founders powered by SoftLayer - Making a huge impact!

We are 8 weeks through the 2015 Digital Health Accelerator and the companies are making incredible progress! With 5 weeks to go the companies are heads down preparing for Demo Day.  This year’s cohort has been able to move faster, more efficiently and steam roll roadblocks due to the 4 Floating Founders.

Iron Yard Ventures’ companies benefit from incredible relationships with organizations that are committed to helping founders build, grow and scale their companies. This year’s class is benefiting from amazing partnerships and sponsors with some of the leaders in digital health. One partnership is with SoftLayer. SoftLayer has sponsored our Floating Founder program for the second year in a row. This year’s team consist of a full-time Developer in Residence, Executive in Residence and 2 Designers in Residence.

The 2014 Digital Health Accelerator was our first attempt at having the Floating Founder program and the impact was amazing. So much so we felt we had to take it to the next level doubling the size of the team. Thanks to SoftLayer we were able to bring on an additional Designer and create a new Executive in Residence position. Also, the incredible growth of The Iron Yard Academy made the search for talented and passionate people much easier.

The Developer in Residence, Todd Heidenreich and Designer in Residence, Lance Putnam are both graduates of the Greenville, SC Front End course. The other Designer in Residence, Sarah Garber is a USC Upstate Graphic Design graduate. The Executive in Residence, Joe Gibson, has a wide range of experience in running and growing businesses. He is also a long time Upstate resident.

(P.S. The fact that all of the Floating Founders are from the Upstate speaks volumes about the talent surrounding us.)

The team is tasked with assisting all 9 companies in many different ways. Helping put together websites, ecommerce platforms, building brand guidelines, designing/redesigning logos, assisting with the team growth process, business model, sales and all around hustle – to name a few. Starting a company is easy, building a successful company is hard – there isn’t enough time in a day to accomplish everything that needs to get done. Especially when it’s a team of 2-5 people and you have many milestones to hit on the way to Demo Day. We help companies lay a solid foundation for their startup by providing as much mentorship and as many resources as possible. The Floating Founders have proven to be one of the most key resources we have to offer.

If you’re interested in seeing the impact of the Floating Founders there is no better way than joining us August 13th for Demo Day.

Stay tuned and keep an eye on our blog for a deep dive with each of them individually! Also, if you are interested in applying for a Floating Founder position for the EdTech Program which kicks off on September 14th, reach out to us at [email protected]

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Meet Sarah Garber, Design and Marketing Intern

We are thrilled to introduce you to Sarah Garber, Design and Marketing Intern for the 2015 Digital Health Accelerator. She is an incredible asset to this year’s companies! We asked her to take a moment to tell you a little about herself. Take it away Sarah...

Hello, my name is Sarah Garber and I am the marketing and graphic design intern at The Iron Yard. I graduated from USC Upstate last month with a Bachelor of the Arts degree in graphic design and a minor in art history. I was born and raised in Greer, but relocated to Spartanburg at the beginning of the year.

I enjoy creating designs that are simple yet effective. My style is influenced by my interest in typography and my southern surroundings. I enjoy creating solutions that incorporate fun and thoughtful visuals. I am a jack of all trades at The Iron Yard and help create a variety of things including: logo designs, business cards, perform marketing research, or even brainstorm social media marketing plans.

When I am not working on projects, I enjoying hanging out with my family and friends by the pool, going on a trip, making artwork, or attending a concert. I have a happy family of four pets and my partner Zach, who is a worthy opponent at Mario Kart. I also love food and am always looking for a new place to try. If you have any recommendations, or just wanna chat, stop by The Iron Yard or email me at [email protected]! 

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A week in the Digital Health Accelerator from the eyes of an Intern

A week in the the accelerator through the eyes of Michael Weimer, Summer Intern at The Iron Yard. 

 I was a week late joining the digital health accelerator program team, but quickly realized that the daily pace at the Iron Yard is full speed. There are nine teams in the program and they all have around 3 months to prepare for a Demo Day at the end of the program. The teams are doing everything necessary to be prepared for a day that could jump start their company. Along with all of this work, the teams receive advice from mentors in local areas. Mentors speak every morning and meet individually with every team throughout the afternoon to help teams with specific questions. 

 For me, this week was all about learning about what the individual teams are trying to accomplish and listening to all of the great advice that the mentors were sharing. These mentors have tasted success, and truly care about the future of all of the companies. They all try to share any words of wisdom they have for the start up companies. I was lucky enough to listen to John-Michial Carter (CEO of Chart Span), Peter Barth (CEO of The Iron Yard), John Bauknight (Owner of RJ Rockers), Kathy Dunleavy (CEO/President of Mary Black Foundation), Kevin Weir (Innovation Leader for Miliken), and Harold Moore (CIO of Spartanburg Regional). Most of these speakers went through the similar steps that the current program teams are going through. Some of them were even a part of a previous Iron Yard Accelerator Program! An immense amount of information was shared and I enjoyed every speaker this week. I have retained a great deal of information by simply being present during the speeches! 

 Just from my personal observations, the environment here is perfect for the teams to collaborate with their teammates, mentors, and even other teams to push their respective companies forward. I plan to help these startup companies as much as possible and I am excited to see each company takeoff!

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Meet Michael Weimer

We are excited to have Michael Weimer here for the Summer as an intern for the Digital Health Accelerator. In just a few days he has made an incredible impact and made it very clear that he is a great fit for our team. With his friendly and driven personality it didn’t take him long to get acquainted with the companies and hit the ground running.  We asked him to tell the rest of you a little more about himself. Take it away Michael..

Hello readers! My name is Michael Weimer and I am very excited to be joining the Iron Yard team as a summer intern. I am currently a senior at Wofford College and am majoring in finance and accounting. I am currently undecided about what I would like to do after I graduate from Wofford, but I love the accounting and finance fields. My ideal occupation would have a mixture of both so that I could use all that I have learned in my undergrad to perform to the best of my ability!

When people ask me where I’m from, I struggle with a quick response due to the many different places I have called ‘home’ over the years. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio and lived in the suburbs of Akron, Ohio until I was about 12 years old. I then moved to a small town just outside of Erie, Pennsylvania called Sugar Grove and lived there for about 3 years. Right before high school, I moved down to Chapin, South Carolina which is where my family currently resides. While moving as a child is no fun, relocating and the collaboration of different people from different backgrounds has taught me a lot and has helped me grow into the person I am today. I have two amazing parents, a younger brother who attends Clemson University, and a younger sister who attends Chapin High School.

When I’m not diving head first into all my class work at Wofford, I spend my time as quarterback for the Wofford Terriers! I have been playing football since I was in grade school and was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to play at the college level! I have built many strong relationships with my teammates, coaches and even competitors that I will value for the rest of my life. While I’m not studying or playing football, I also tutor finance and accounting introductory courses to freshmen and sophomores at Wofford.

In my free time I also love playing golf and spending time on the lakes or beaches in South Carolina with friends and family. I am very appreciative for the opportunity to work at the Iron Yard. Learning about the process of starting and growing a new business has always been an interest of mine, and being here will teach me about what all goes into the long and complicated process of starting a company. The Healthcare Accelerator program is full of some great teams with amazing ideas that are trying to be a part of the rapidly growing healthcare technology industry. I plan on helping the Iron Yard and these teams accomplish their goals in as many ways as I can! I am so excited to become a part of the Iron Yard team!

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Announcing the 5th cohort of startups at Iron Yard Ventures

It is with great excitement that today we launch our latest batch of startups in our Digital Health Accelerator program and announce our nine newest investments.

This year’s cohort continues to raise the bar for the people and companies we are fortunate to work with at Iron Yard Ventures. The nine companies in this cohort come from around the US with 8 of 9 hailing from outside South Carolina.

The nine startups receive $20,000 investment, office space at The Iron Yard in Spartanburg, SC, mentorship from successful tech and healthcare leaders as well as perks including marketing, branding, legal work, accounting services, office space and demo days in South Carolina as well as Health 2.0 Conference in Silicon Valley.

Iron Yard Ventures has now invested in 58 startup companies over the last 3 years. While we are far from perfect – this critical mass of activity has been a lightning rod for the startup ecosystem in the Southeast.  In 2014 Iron Yard Ventures was named a top 6 place to launch a healthcare startup and in 2015 named a top 20 overall accelerator program in the US.

This year’s cohort comes to the Iron Yard from Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Kansas City, San Francisco, New Jersey and Virginia. Two of the companies in the cohort were founded by graduates of The Iron Yard Academy, our code school now in 14 cities around the US.

Joining the startups over the next 13 weeks will be a Designer and Developer in Residence who also graduated from The Iron Yard Academy, as well as an Executive in Residence to help the companies accomplish more before their demo day August.

Here is a run down of the nine companies in our current accelerator program:

*ProAlert  (proalertapp.com)– Helping first responders save lives by saving time integrating dispatch data with GPS, and treatment protocol reference. Prenovate (prenovate.com) – personalized food grade engine for chronic conditions Play-it Health (playithealth.com)– custom software for medication and behavioral adherence Headsup Health (headsuphealth.com)– personal health and fitness record system putting the consumer at the center of their health and fitness information. *Intuneto (intuneto.com)– influencer focused health habit and fitness platform Triage Security (triagesecurity.com) – threat detection cyber security software Hygeia Health (hygeia.us)– complete health kiosk and point of care devices for healthcare Data Minded Solutions (datamindedsolutions.com) – decision management platform for diabetes care GlassChart (glasschart.co) – Siri for doctors * = founders graduated from The Iron Yard Academy

Interested in learning more about these companies or Iron Yard Ventures? For more information contact us at Ventures [at] theironyard.com or join the conversation on Twitter @IronYardVenture.

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36 | 86 Southern Series Winners Announced

Last Friday, Launch Tennessee announced the 12 startups who have advanced from the regional Southern Series events and will compete at the inaugural 36 | 86 competition in June for the $36,000 grand prize. 

Here are the 12 selected companies: 

Arlington, VA

Airside Mobile is changing how travelers travel by using mobile technology and expert process design to eliminate lines during day-of-travel. Airside Mobile Passport is the only app authorized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that enables travelers to bypass long Customs lines. (Arlington, VA)

Babyscripts is reimagining how pregnancies are monitored by introducing the internet of things to prenatal care. Through both a mobile app and the delivery of two connected devices, Babyscripts is delivered to pregnant mothers by their OBGYNs and used to improve patient engagement and satisfaction, while directly increasing provider ROI. (Washington, D.C.)

EQUITYEATS is the first equity crowdfunding platform dedicated exclusively to restaurants, bars and coffee shops. EquityEats fundamentally transforms restaurant economics by providing each entrepreneur capital they need and hundreds of passionate “investomers” (investors + customers). (Washington, D.C.)

Virgil Security, Inc., provides software developers with password-free authentication, strong encryption, and verification of data, devices and identities that is quickly and easily integrated into their products – often in just hours – with no prior cryptographic knowledge or training required. (Manassas, VA)

Columbia, SC

aPersona transparently protects public-facing web services for pennies per user. (Raleigh, NC)

Echovate helps companies’ replicate top performing employees through next generation data-science, redefining candidate screening & selection. (Charleston, SC)

FotoSwipe allows users to  instantly share photos and videos across multiple smart devices (iPhone, Android, iPad, tablets, etc.) with the swipe of a finger. (Raleigh, NC)

Good Done Great customizes employee engagement and corporate philanthropy platforms for global brands, delivering targeted and measurable impact. More than 1.2 million employees currently use GDG’s innovative tools to align their time and treasure with personal charitable goals and over 60,000 non-profits benefit from their broad philanthropic reach. (Charleston, SC)

Atlanta, GA

Florence Healthcare is changing the way new drugs are brought to market by accelerating clinical drug trials with a new type automation software. (Atlanta, GA)

PartPic has developed an enterprise solution that revolutionizes the part identification and purchase process by allowing consumers to take a picture of the part, upload to PartPic’s database and within seconds receive the correct part as well and help to facilitate the purchase. (Atlanta, GA)

Rivalry is a team accountability software enabling sales coaching within sales organizations across the world. From Fortune 10 companies to early-stage startups, Rivalry’s software helps sales reps perform the right behaviors of the sales process to help them close more deals, maintain positive morale and retain training. (Atlanta, GA)

RootsRated is a media platform that connects users with the best outdoor experiences, hand-picked by local outdoor retailers and their networks of local experts. They harness the collective expertise of high-level active outdoor enthusiasts and then share it through exclusive stories and destination reviews—curated city by city—about the best trails, runs, routes and more. (Chattanooga, TN)

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We were thrilled to be a regional partner and part of the judging panel for the DC and Columbia events. Our team was impressed by the winners of the competition as well as the talent throughout both the Columbia and Arlington events. 

This quick note from the organizers about their mission/goal for the competition highlights why these type of events are so important for startups, entrepreneurs and investors. 

“The mission of The Southern Series was to provide an opportunity for regional startup celebration and to identify the very best entrepreneurs located throughout the Southeast.”

The $36,000 will be a great grand prize for any of these companies, but more importantly the exposure and connections made (for all competitors) is invaluable in our opinion. That said, if you were not able to make one of the regional events, we strongly encourage you to register for the main event June, 8th.  Besides hearing from the competing startups, there is an incredible lineup of speakers for the conference. 

Will we see you there!? 

P.S. Here were a few quotes we enjoyed from the events:

"Startups finish in SF. Some of our best companies start in the southeast. That's why the southeast matters to investors" @paulsingh

"We do small deals to stir the pot and start the machine." @tigesavage

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Health Innovation@50+ LivePitch – May 14-16th, 2015

AARP is hosting their 4th annual startup competition and applications are open through Friday, February 20th!

This is a great opportunity to pitch to both leading venture and angel investors and thousands of AARP Consumers. There will be 10 finalist selected to showcase their startup during AARP Health Innovation@50+ Tech Expo at Miami Beach Convention Center. They will pitch on stage to a panel of seasoned judges and AARP consumers. The judges will provide their feedback directly to the startups. Out of the 10 finalist there will be 2 winners: Judges Overall Winner and Consumers Favorite.

Both the LivePitch Judges’ and Consumers’ Winners will receive the following prize package:

1. Trophy – AARP Innovation Award 2. Apple iPad 3. Registration & Exhibit space in a future Life@50+ Event 4. AARP Media coverage 5. Meeting with AARP Management 6. Five hours of AARP Innovation team mentorship

There is no Fee to Apply.

What categories are there to apply to for the event?

·        Medication Management

·        Aging with Vitality, e.g. increase daytime energy, maintain muscle strength, manage arthritis, improve or aid in memory/cognition, brain fitness improve/aid hearing, improve/aid vision

·        Vital Sign Monitoring

·        Care Navigation

·        Emergency Detection & Response

·        Physical Fitness

·        Social Engagement

·        Diet & Nutrition

·        Behavioral & Emotional  Health

·        Other

LivePitch eligibility requirements

·        Companies will be focused on consumer-oriented health technologies for the “50 and over” market

·        Companies will have launched their product/service within 18 months of the May 14, 2015 event date

·        Companies will not have raised more than $5 million in funding

To learn more about the event, visit http://health50.org.

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864 - Tech Startups Map

Last week, I wrote about an idea for a startup map that was originally posted to What If Spartanburg.

I've spent some time in the past week working on the project and I'm excited to share the site with you! I would love to hear your feedback for the site and what you would like to see added. Also, I need help finding the rest of the startups who are hiding in Spartanburg. Using the google spreadsheet that is attached at the bottom of the page you can add them yourself or feel free to send them my way and I will get them added.

Here is a link to the site:  864startups.com

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Tech Startups in Spartanburg

This idea was recently published on a new platform in Spartanburg, Whatif Spartanburg, it caught my eye and pushed me to start working on the project.

The Iron Yard attempts to help startups in any many different ways. Whether it's through our accelerator programs, coworking opportunities, or creating a wealth of talent with the academy. Also, we work hard to ensure that we provide additional opportunities, resources, and assistance to startups outside as part of our mission.

One of our main goals is to help build and sustain the startup ecosystem in Spartanburg. When I saw this idea it made me stop and think... How many startups are there in Spartanburg? How many will there be in few years? Do I know all of them and what they do?  

So I started putting together a list. After compiling the ones I could think of off the top of my head and a quick search, I knew all of them but one. However, I am confident that there are more here that i'm unaware of. I also love the idea of making the existing ones more accessible and being able to physically watch the growth. That said, I am on the hunt for any and all tech startups in Spartanburg. I would love your help!!

What are your favorite tech startups that haven't gone through The Iron Yard's Accelerator or our Cowork?

If you have any in mind - please email me at [email protected]  

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Reflection on TIY Kids Academy

We recently posted about our upcoming Kids Academy schedule here at TIY. It's right around the corner and we can't wait to get started! One of our many amazing volunteers, a graduate from The Iron Yard Academy, reflected on her first session teaching and how it compares to her typical teaching experience. Take it away...

Hi I am Katherine Wakefield, one of the teachers for the Kids Academy at the Iron Yard in Spartanburg.

For almost 20 years, I have been teaching older adults computer skills and I love sharing my knowledge with others. This winter session is my second class teaching kids HTML and CSS the two foundational languages for coding webpages.Teaching at the Kids Academy has it’s differences from my octogenarian students over the years. I have found the kids absorb the information faster than I am use to and they are definitely hands on.

Balancing the informational lecture and example code is a challenge to keep their attention. So far I have done well at that balance. The kids have had great questions and grasp the concepts faster than I expected too.

It is interesting that some of my older student in past years had no reference for computers and the kids these days do grow up hands on with gadgetry, but not much reference to coding. However they are able to catch on very quickly - it must be the console game playing.

I too started early at age 11 and moved into game playing with the Atari in the early 80’s. It is great to see the kids that light with enthusiasm having lightbulb moments when they understand how the code works. The Scratch class had lots of oohs and aahs when their character was programmed to move around the screen by their keyboard commands.

I am looking forward to teaching more kids how to code webpages.

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Introducing The Iron Yard Ventures

The Iron Yard has grown considerably since our beginning. A special thank you goes to the mentors, alumni, startup founders, sponsors and investors who have put their time and resources into making The Iron Yard a lightening rod for startups and code education.

From humble beginnings as one of the first startup investment programs in the southeast - to running two nationally ranked accelerators and now the largest code school in the US - The Iron Yard is a rapidly growing startup itself.

2014 was a year of considerable growth for both our startup accelerator and our code academy. We have even bigger plans in store for 2015.

In late 2014 as we reflected back on where we have been and where we are heading - we came to the decision to finally rename our accelerator and seed investment activities. This is something that we have had in the works for about a year - and now is the right time to make the shift.

The Iron Yard Ventures is the new home for our startup accelerator, mentoring and investing programs. We are rolling out a bunch of new things over the coming months - this is one small but important step in doing so. 

We are kicking off 2015 with hosting meetups in 11 cities where The Iron Yard has campuses. Here is the list of upcoming city meetups and RSVP links for you to come join us for pizza and beer nights:

1/22 - Columbia, SC - http://tiy-ventures.ticketleap.com/cola-meetup/

1/27 - Greenville, SC - http://tiy-ventures.ticketleap.com/gvl-meetup/

1/28 - Charleston, SC - http://tiy-ventures.ticketleap.com/chs-meetup/

1/29 - Atlanta, GA - http://tiy-ventures.ticketleap.com/atl-meetup/

2/3   - Durham, NC - http://tiy-ventures.ticketleap.com/durham-meetup/

2/9   - Houston, TX - http://tiy-ventures.ticketleap.com/houston-meetup/

2/10  - Austin, TX - http://tiy-ventures.ticketleap.com/austin-meetup/

  Come enjoy some pizza and beer at our new locations in each city. Meet our team, our academy students, our accelerator alumni companies and learn more about The Iron Yard Ventures.

If you are interested in building a great company to solve the many giant opportunities in education and healthcare alongside a crazy smart nationwide network of startup founders, developers, mentors and investors - get in touch with us ([email protected]). 

And applications are open for our EdTech and Digital Health accelerator programs!

  To Infinity and Beyond.

[ironyardventures]

2015 Kids Academy Schedule

Happy New Year!

First, we would like to thank everyone who participated in our Kids Academy last year. It has been a privilege to be part of such an amazing program. The program has grown substantially thanks to each and every one of you and of course all of our amazing volunteers. We are excited to watch the continued growth and spread more knowledge about technology and programming. We have some exciting new opportunities planned for 2015 and we can't wait to share them with you. We will be kicking things off the week of January, 26th and this session will run until March. Make sure to sign up ASAP, the classes fill up quickly. We look forward to having you and your children join the program. Here are the links to our class offerings:

Scratch Level 1  (1/26 - 3/9 Mondays at 5:30pm) Minecraft Level 1  (1/26 - 3/9 Mondays at 6:45pm) HTML / CSS Level 1 (1/27 - 3/3 Tuesdays at 6:30pm) HTML / CSS Level 1  (1/29 - 3/12 Thursdays at 5pm)