Ten high-performing companies were recently selected by StartOut and J.P. Morgan to be part of a new six-month initiative in its Growth Lab, designed to support entrepreneurs in their communities to grow their businesses through networking, mentoring, and education.

This new cohort of companies brings together innovators from across the U.S. and Australia, specializing in fields ranging from healthcare and climate to fashion and education.

David Barbee, head of LGBTQ+ Initiatives at JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking, noted:

We are proud to continue our work with StartOut as we work to accelerate the growth of LGBTQ+ owned businesses nationwide.

About Growth Lab

For six years, the program has helped 65 early-stage companies raise more than $763 million in funding and supported the creation of more than 3,650 new jobs in the United States.

J.P. Morgan, serving as a co-senior sponsor of the Growth Lab, provides expert mentorship and educational materials to support participating companies, also provides eligible cohort members with the newly launched Capital Connect, a digital platform that directly connects founders and investors.

“Growth Lab offers a unique opportunity for collaboration and community building, and we look forward to the fresh perspectives and innovative thinking Cohort 11 will contribute to this unique community of entrepreneurs,” added Barbee.

BREAKING: We're proud to announce our StartOut Growth Lab Cohort 11 companies in partnership with @jpmorgan, @comcast, @DLA_Piper, and #CapitalConnect by J.P. Morgan. Learn more about the LGBTQ-led startups below

Read more >> https://t.co/1cqFz5fx99 pic.twitter.com/9tQtMeKrlE

— StartOut (@StartOut) January 19, 2023

Beneficiaries

The companies selected to be part of this new cohort are:

1. A Leading Role (Los Angeles, CA): On a mission to create the most iconic and beautifully designed dress-up and costume brand in the world
2. CROOW (Tampa, FL): Built a collaboration platform on software that leverages workflows and efficiencies to streamline video production and change the way that studio-quality video is produced
3. Developmate Inc. (San Antonio, TX): Simplifies site selection for real estate developers by combining data and analytics onto one easy-to-use mapping software.
4. Detexian (San Diego, CA): Helps modern workplaces to reduce SaaS spend and risk by empowering IT to be trusted advisors of business teams.
5. Dyllen's College Essay Advice (Los Angeles, CA): Empowers students to discover their sense of self and effectively communicate their personal values, experiences, and potential in well-crafted college admission essays.
6. Ecotone Renewables (Pittsburgh, PA): Building the tools to make sustainable food and agriculture systems accessible to local communities
7. FULL (Middletown, DE): Gives individuals the tools to feed themselves in health-first, tech-enabled community gardens on rooftops and lawns globally
8. Mate Fertility (Los Angeles, CA): Solving fertility access issues in the U.S. through its solution-based focus on equality of access and care.
9. Netfolios (Sydney, Australia): Provides in-depth climate analytics tools and data to help the global investment community manage and report climate impacts. Netfolios supports financial institutions in assessing climate-related risks and opportunities, and reducing their financed emissions to reach net zero.
10. Tinkery (Sydney, Australia): Makes prototyping kits that encourage learners to creatively apply STEM principles and build devices that tackle personal and global challenges.

“In partnership with our co-sponsor, J.P. Morgan, we are thrilled to kick-off Cohort 11 with this impressive group of innovators. The companies who have graduated from the Growth Lab continue to have a substantial impact on their communities. We can’t wait to help accelerate the growth of this next group of passionate entrepreneurs!” noted Andrés Wydler, executive director of StartOut.