NMotion announces 2018 cohort and changes to program

NMotion, Lincoln’s startup accelerator, has announced its 2018 cohort of teams along with some changes in the program. “Moving forward the aim is to focus on the acceleration of our startups,” said Managing Director Carlos Estrada. “This year we have teams with more traction, and at least 2 or 3 people on their team. We’re…

NMotion, Lincoln’s startup accelerator, has announced its 2018 cohort of teams along with some changes in the program.

“Moving forward the aim is to focus on the acceleration of our startups,” said Managing Director Carlos Estrada. “This year we have teams with more traction, and at least 2 or 3 people on their team. We’re aiming for more focus on scaling.”

The five teams chosen for the 2018 cohort are part of a larger group that is completing NMotion Academy, a virtual 8-week program that leverages cutting-edge, hands-on learning to provide individuals and teams with real-world startup experience.

“The Academy is virtual, all online, which means that we can reach almost any geographical area,” Estrada said. “The virtual academy allows all participants to test ideas before potentially moving into the intensive accelerator program.”

The Academy covers various components previously offered through the 90-day accelerator program, and participants learn from talking to customers, partners and competitors. Once accepted into the accelerator, guidance is provided based on a crowd-sourced tool called Startup Development Phases that diagnoses where each startup fits.

“Once teams are accepted in the accelerator we are able to provide the best coaching and mentoring, and customize how fast each team is willing to go,” Estrada said. “Working with teams that are further along in the development phases of a startup will allow NMotion to provide more targeted guidance and the startups the ability to use all of the resources we provide effectively and efficiently.”

Here are the companies that make up the 2018 cohort:

Emenoo – Custom meal suggestions & menu analytics

Dominic Nguyen, CEO & Co-founder
Luis Ramirez, CTO & Co-founder

Emenoo is a mobile survey platform that saves restaurant-goers time by suggesting meals to them based on their taste preferences, dietary restrictions, and quick restaurant reviews they submit. With this data, Emenoo also helps restaurants better analyze their menu performance.

Jord Producers – Commercial Mealworm Farm in Nebraska

Cheryl Powers – Founder
Kris Vrooman -Production Manager
Amber Burenheide- Operations Manager

By farming mealworms, Jord Producers will provide a traceable, value-added agriculture product for customers in both the food industry and pet/animal industry. Mealworms, a sustainable protein, are starting to gain recognition in the edible insect market as food product makers are seeking a food-grade mealworm grown in the U.S. to utilize for their research and new culinary creations.

Additionally, more backyard chicken farmers and specialty pet owners want to have access to high protein in its most natural form. The poultry and aquaculture industries are recognizing the potential role mealworms can play in healthier dietary supplements. Today’s consumers want to see animals raised on diets reflective of their natural foraging habits.

Pawlytics – Management Software for Animal Welfare Organizations

Lizz Whitacre – Founder
Justin Collier – Chief Technology Officer

Pawlytics is a management software that helps animal shelters and rescues to be more efficient, data driven, and collaborative so they can save more lives. With Pawlytics, an animal welfare group can maintain their information (like people, pets, and activity) in one central location to streamline their processes while receiving data insights with no extra effort.

Groove Watersports – Audio enhanced life vest (Patent No. 9,894,943 B2)

Grant Gehlen – Founder & Head Entrepreneur
Miles Ukaoma – Head of Finances
Drew Bartek – Head of Marketing

The Groove Vest is the first life jacket that allows you to listen to music though waterproof speakers integrated within the vest.

Novoc – Artificial Intelligence that recognizes cancer

Joey Lydiatt, COO & Co-founder
Joshua Jones, CEO & Co-founder
Trevor Fellbaum, CTO & Co-founder

Novoc’s goal is to help hospitals save time, save money, and save lives by leveraging artificial intelligence to aid doctors in the diagnostic process.

Rod Armstrong is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for AIM in Lincoln, Nebraska. He is a regular contributor to Silicon Prairie News.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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