Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by the NMotion startup accelerator, but was independently produced by Startland News.
Following NMotion Venture Studio’s successful launch in 2020, Nebraska’s largest and only startup accelerator is adding a new high-touch opportunity to its lineup: NMotion Growth Accelerator.
“Five out of the 10 companies that came through the NMotion Venture Studio have gone on to raise outside investments of at least $100,000. We’re seeing great results, and that success allows us to secure partners who help fund what we’re doing — as well as add this third program,” said Scott Henderson, the managing principal of NMotion powered by gener8tor.
[pullquote]
gener8tor is a venture capital firm and accelerator that brings together startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians and artists. The gener8tor platform includes more than 75 programs spanning startup accelerators, corporate programming, speaker series, conferences, skills accelerators and fellowships.
[/pullquote]The NMotion Growth Accelerator is a hybrid, 12-week, investment-for-equity accelerator for six high-growth startups across Nebraska and those looking to establish a presence in Nebraska. The growth accelerator succeeds NMotion’s Pre-Accelerator and Venture Studio.
Click here to apply to the NMotion Growth Accelerator.
“It’s interesting that COVID allowed us to do some experimenting in the programming, so we no longer require a physical presence in one location,” Henderson said. “Now we’re able to work with companies across the state of Nebraska, not just Lincoln. Utilizing this hybrid fashion also allows for us to keep our companies focused and not burn their time having to be physically going back and forth.”
Click here to learn more about NMotion Venture Studio.
The accelerator offers a $100,000 investment for each of the six companies selected, as well as access to more than 100 mentors and the opportunity to pitch to about 50 early stage investors, Henderson noted.
“With COVID, there was also this shift to virtual pitching,” he continued. “Now we can get our founders in front of several Midwest and coastal venture capitalists and early stage investors without having to travel.”
The NMotion team plans to take a “concierge” approach to the new accelerator, meaning that they will bring an elevated level of care and attention to each startup, Henderson said.
“We will work one-on-one with each of the companies twice a week for about an hour,” Henderson explained. “… We also have access to the gener8tor national network of companies and founders. Everyone who comes through our programs gets that lifetime membership, and we do periodical workshops and roundtable discussions with folks who have come through NMotion as well as gener8tor.”
NMotion Venture Studio 2021 cohort
NMotion has launched and/or grown 77 companies since its inception in 2013.
“Our largest exit yet is Quantified Ag; they sold to Merck Animal Science for an undisclosed amount,” said Henderson, noting that NMotion’s second largest exit was LiveBy sold to Fathom for $9 million. From the NMotion Venture Studio, educational investing app Bumper raised $500,000 of outside investment.
Scott Henderson, NMotion
“I don’t know [any other programs] doing more startup acceleration in the Midwest right now as we are doing,” Henderson continued.
The 12-week Growth Accelerator will round out with a two-day showcase event in October that will start in Omaha and end in Lincoln, Nebraska.
For those interested in applying to the NMotion Growth Accelerator, Henderson advised that prospective applicants get the selection team excited about the size of the problem their startup is solving.
“And really make sure that there’s a strong and clear message around product-market-founder fit,” Henderson said. “Also, we want to see the traction that they have in the marketplace with their customers. How much momentum do they have in terms of sales? How consistent has their growth been?”
Applications for the NMotion Growth Accelerator close Monday, May 30.
Click here to apply to the NMotion Growth Accelerator.
