The latest NMotion Showcase took place on Tuesday, May 21, at Millwork Commons in Omaha. Seven startups, including three from Nebraska, had the chance to pitch their companies on stage.
Attendees helped celebrate hitting the milestone of 100 startups completing the NMotion accelerator program. NMotion leadership also announced plans to invest additional funds over the coming years.
The NMotion accelerator was established in Lincoln in 2013.
“We have since grown into the most successful startup accelerator of our kind in a six-state region and are excited for our plans to invest an additional $3 million into 30 more startups through 2026,” according to NMotion Managing Principal Scott Henderson in a press release.
Thanks to our sponsor
The collaboration between NMotion and gener8tor has resulted in investing $3.9 million in startup capital since 2019, while providing support to growing entrepreneurs.
NMotion’s 100 alumni companies have seen remarkable success, with 39 securing an additional $49.2 million in funding after completing the program. Four have successfully exited, including Quantified Ag and LiveBy. Henderson said these companies have not only created high-paying jobs, but also significantly boosted the quality and reputation of Nebraska’s startup community.
The companies selected for the NMotion accelerator take part in a 12-week boot camp program, which includes a $100k investment, 1-on-1 coaching, mentorship, deals and perks from service providers and a vast network of investors.
The six startups showcased this year were: DivorceTech and Tour Golf League from Nebraska, TrunkDrop and Talknician from Minnesota, Wunup from North Dakota, and Storytailor from Kansas.
One additional Nebraska startup had the opportunity to take the stage after winning a recent NMotion virtual pitch competition. Founder and CEO Jessica Queen presented her medical technology manufacturing company Omedus.
Tour Golf League Founder Dennis Einspahr—whose company helps golf courses increase revenue by enabling them to offer night golf events during unused business hours—highlighted the importance of NMotion’s resources in driving his startup’s growth.
“One of the things that a lot of founders lack is the growth frameworks. NMotion has that formula that a lot of founders don’t,” Einspahr said. “They provided me all these resources and delivered on everything I was looking for in this program. It established a lifelong relationship.”
Einspahr said he now plans to leverage the knowledge from this program to expand outside of the state. Tour Golf League is already operating throughout Nebraska in Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island and North Platte.
JQ Sirls, co-founder and CEO of Storytailor, emphasized the impact Nmotion had on his journey as a Black founder in the Midwest. Storytailor is a platform where users can create personalized children’s stories in minutes.
“We kind of always get into this space where, even though we’re ready, there is still no way,” Sirls said referring to himself and his Black co-founder.
“One of the things that NMotion gave us is the spirit of moving forward anyway and not trying to convert people who don’t care…those who see us as beginners,” he added.
Sirls said his next goal is to start integrating into hospitals, schools and libraries because those tend to be settings that parents already trust. He said Storytailer recently started working with a large children’s hospital in Kansas City.
Maggie Brickerman, partner at gener8tor, reflected at the end of the showcase on the significance of Nebraska alumni of the NMotion program at the event.
“That doesn’t always happen everywhere across the country, where people take the time to come back to support,” Brickerman said. “Everyone is contributing. It’s been really special.”
As the NMotion Showcase came to an end, the collaboration between cities like Lincoln and Omaha took centerstage. The partnerships and cohesion both hubs create is unique according to Brickerman, based on her experience working with startups across the country.
“There are not a lot of cities that will team up in that way.”
NMotion is currently recruiting six more companies for the Fall 2024 cohort. You can find more information and an application here.
