Tools and utilities created by startups will accelerate the adoption of AI in the enterprise
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – (June 20, 2023) – The Tampa Bay Innovation Center (TBIC), an early-stage tech incubator, has opened the application process for its next accelerator program, which will focus on startups developing products that simplify collecting, analyzing, or monetizing large sources of data. This program will serve early-stage founders building solutions for working with and gaining insight from large repositories of data (industry, geographic, environmental, government, etc.), which may be generated by Internet of Things (IoT) networks, data needed to train artificial intelligence (AI) systems or tools, API’s, and utilities that will be critical for integrating AI into existing systems and the workforce.
“There have been many exciting announcements recently in the world of data science and AI, but the industry has barely dipped its toe into the next wave of innovation, and there is so much opportunity to have a positive impact on all aspects of life, including transportation, scientific research, business operations, customer service, and many others,” said Ken Evans, accelerator managing director. To include as many startups as possible, the program will accommodate various stages of companies, with programming tailored to help startup founders, advisors, and investors create sustainable ventures. The accelerator’s goal is commercialization and early-stage customer traction. “We counsel startup founders to meet with customers before they commit all their resources to development, evaluate their assumptions, and iterate until they achieve product-market fit” added Evans.
TBIC is pleased to announce that ARK Invest, Morrow Consultants, and PODS Moving & Storage are among the first to support the data-focused cohort and contribute to the well-being and economic development of the region with targeted efforts on emerging technologies. This corporate support will provide a combination of mentoring, expertise, financial support, and other resources for TBIC and its startups.
“We are excited to provide this new program which, given the interest in data analytics and artificial intelligence, we expect will be highly sought after by companies bringing new products to market,” stated Chris Paradies, TBIC chair. In addition to these corporate partners, TBIC is supported by Pinellas County Economic Development, Tampa Bay Ventures, Fulcrum Equity Partners, Kyle Taylor and the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership.
The TBIC accelerator consists of weekly workshops, mentoring, and ongoing customer validation research. The program was designed to evolve early-stage tech startup ideas into revenue-producing, job-generating companies. Previous TBIC accelerator cohorts have focused on products for the general enterprise, cyber security, blockchain, medical technology, advanced manufacturing, climate, and clean tech, agtech, mental health, fintech, IoT and others.
The program will kick off in mid-August and consists of weekly group workshops supplemented by one-on-one mentoring to help these early-stage ventures with customer discovery, product road mapping, pricing, go-to-market skills, and putting operational processes in place that are essential for startup success. These companies will be assisted in their journey by TBIC’s network of mentors as well as participating domain experts from industry partners.
Applications for interested startups can be submitted at https://tbinnovates.com/accelerator.
Tampa Bay Innovation Center (TBIC) supports entrepreneurial success, fosters the creation of high-tech jobs, and develops new sources of technology and manufacturing capabilities by nurturing early-stage ventures as they grow and launch their products into the marketplace. The Innovation Center offers programs that are tailored to the innovator/entrepreneur and provides guidance in market research, business formation, product & technology planning, commercialization, and organizational growth & leadership.
The Tampa Bay Innovation Center, the Federal Economic Development Administration, Pinellas County, and the City of St. Petersburg are collectively establishing a purpose-built 45,000 sq. ft. startup incubator facility in the St. Pete Innovation District. ARK Invest has partnered with TBIC to be the title sponsor for this facility, now designated as ARK Innovation Center. Anticipated opening date is on or before October 1, 2023.
Follow Tampa Bay Innovation Center on Twitter, www.twitter.com/tbinnovates, LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/tampa-bay-innovation-center, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/tbinnovates/ and on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/tbinnovationcenter for updates and future events.
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Originally posted 2023-06-20 20:40:55.