July 20, 2021

Ten tech startups moved to Des Moines this week. Here's what they make.

Ten startup founders from around North America descended on Des Moines this week to try to grow their businesses.

The second class of the accelerator program Techstars Iowa began meeting at the Gravitate Coworking office at 500 Locust St. on Monday. Unlike last year's group, which met over the Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic, the new crop of entrepreneurs will stay in Des Moines for two weeks.

After that, the class will meet online for about 10 weeks, said Kerty Levy, the Techstars Iowa managing director. The group will then return to work out of the Des Moines office for a week before hosting a demonstration day to show off its products at Gravitate on Sept. 30.

Even though coronavirus case counts are not as high this summer as they were last year, Levy said the founders will mostly meet online so that they can travel the country and meet potential customers.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Techstars is a network of accelerators with offices around the world. The organization has a deep roster of CEOs, mentors and investors who connect with the startup founders through the program. Membership in Techstars can help entrepreneurs secure enough funding to grow their companies and become profitable.

The Techstars Iowa staff picked this year's cohort with the help of Grinnell College, Iowa State University and the University of Iowa.

Here is this year's class:

CaseCTRL

The Houston-based software company offers a scheduling platform for surgical centers. The software keeps all notes about a patient on the platform. Among other features, the software can send alerts to everyone involved in a surgery so they are all updated about developments in real time. Patients also can ask questions about their surgery and have them answered by an artificial intelligence "chatbot."

More: casectrl.com

Flyte

Based in Toronto, Flyte is an artificial intelligence notetaking application. The program listens to meetings, creates written records of what parties tell each other and automatically takes action based on what people say during the meeting.

For example, the program can schedule future meetings among a group. Users can customize the notetaking application's actions. Flyte syncs with other programs on your computer, including Salesforce, Outlook and Zoom.

More: flyteai.com

More: From California to Canada, promising new businesses come to Des Moines — via the Internet

LegalQ

The Minneapolis-based company creates an application that connects users with attorneys over the phone for a fee. Users can connect in the moment or schedule meeting.

More: legalq.io

Onward Delivery

Based in Denver, Onward Delivery is an online platform where retailers needing to ship items can post their needs. On the other end, truck drivers can check the platform when they have open space to see if there are any products they could pick up for some extra money.

More: onwarddelivery.com

Out Of The Box

From Cambridge, Massachusetts, Out Of The Box is a startup that seeks to give preschool children a leg up on early learning.

Parents and children answer a series of questions. Based on their answers, the company sends a box to children with lessons that should help them learn and prepare for school.

More: ootb.education

QuickHire

From Wichita, Kansas, QuickHire is a jobs board platform that allows people to find work through an app. The company focuses on drivers, grocers, packers and manufacturers.

QuickHire also allows users to access certificate programs that might help them land jobs.

More: getquickhire.com

Sevelyn

Founded in Des Moines, Sevelyn aims to connect the Latino population with therapists and mental health professionals. The company uses providers from Central and South American countries.

Users do not need health insurance. Sevelyn charges $50 per session.

More: sevelyn.com

Small Packages

The New York City retailer sells gift boxes with an aim of making the shopper's job easier by providing ones designed for specific occasions.

There are positive occasions like "new baby," "promotion" and "engagement." There are also not-so-positive occasions like "divorce" and "fertility support." The company is currently working on an app.

More: smallpackages.co

Trend

Based in Austin, Texas, Trend is an online platform that connects companies with influencers who can build online advertising for them. The company charges businesses $100 for each influencer it introduces. Businesses can also pay a $300 monthly subscription fee.

More: trend.io