Startup Junkie Foundation is bringing back the Fuel Accelerator for the third time around in 2021.
Partnered with Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), Startup Junkie Foundation will be leading a 12-week accelerator and is recruiting companies to Northwest Arkansas for the program. The accelerator will focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning companies.
Startup Junkie Foundation works with RevUnit and Catapult Consulting on programming for the cohort companies, who will have opportunities to learn from subject matter experts, receive mentorship and develop industry networks.
“We are excited to announce the launch of the third iteration of the Fuel Accelerator program. The third cohort will once again be industry agnostic focusing on innovations in artificial intelligence and machine learning that our key enterprise partners can leverage among various aspects of their business model,” Startup Junkie Foundation executive director and Fuel program director Taylor Hasley said in a statement.
According to Hasley, the Fuel Accelerator is looking for seed and growth-stage startups. He said that the accelerator is seeking a diverse range of companies in industries from consumer-packaged goods, supply chain, food & beverage, security, HR, advertising and marketing, AgTech, to business process automation and productivity, as well as technologies that are direct enablers of these.”
Founded in 2018, the Fuel Accelerator originally focused on supply chain companies, bringing eight companies to Northwest Arkansas. For the second Fuel Accelerator, the partner companies switched gears to focus on AI and machine learning. During the 2020 program, 12 companies from across the United States, Europe and Asia came to Northwest Arkansas for the 12-week accelerator.
The seeds of the Fuel Accelerator were supported by funding from the Arkansas General Assembly, which allocated $2 million for accelerator programs in 2017. AEDC has provided funding for the program, with Movista, ArcBest and Wright Lindsey Jennnings Tech Law serving as sponsors.
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