Show-Me State Times

Saint Louis University's New Venture Accelerator (NVA), initiated in January from the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship, has announced its inaugural cohort. This first group consists of four teams selected to participate in a 14-week summer accelerator program, concluding with a Demo Day in August where they will present their final pitches to potential investors and partners.

"We are excited with this year’s cohort that represents five different schools at SLU. This diversity in disciplines will be a great asset as we tackle problems throughout the summer," stated Lewis Sheats, executive director of the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship. "In addition, the participants are developing strong companies that add to our St. Louis entrepreneurial ecosystem."

The selection process involved applicants providing high-level pitches detailing their products or services, target market insights, and competition analysis. A panel of entrepreneurs, alumni, and investors assisted in narrowing down applications to ten finalists who presented in-person pitches.

"We were impressed with the quality of applications we received," Sheats remarked. "After online reviews by SLU alumni and St. Louis ecosystem leaders, we were able to narrow down this strong field to 10 in-person pitches in front of local investors and industry experts. It was not an easy task, but through much deliberation we selected an incredible cohort for 2024."

The chosen teams include GenAssist, Moii Coffee, Posie Pots, and Quick Naloxone.

GenAssist is working on MyoMatrix, a regenerative biomaterial aimed at treating Volumetric Muscle Loss (VML) among other muscle conditions. Founded by Gabe Haas; Joe Beggs; and Koyal Garg, Ph.D., MyoMatrix encourages growth of skeletal muscle stem cells which differentiate into muscle cells forming new tissue.

Moii Coffee seeks to bridge gaps between coffee farmers and consumers by importing coffee directly from Ethiopian farmers. Founded by Firaol Ahmed from SLU's Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, Moii aims to deliver high-quality ethically sourced coffee.

Posie Pots offers sustainable planters utilizing a patented water-once-a-month system reducing water usage significantly compared to traditional flowerpots. Kay Wells founded Posie Pots while pursuing a post-baccalaureate certificate at SLU's School of Professional Studies.

Quick Naloxone addresses opioid overdose intervention needs through advanced sensor technology combined with automated naloxone delivery via a compact patch design. Kirti Madhu founded Quick Naloxone while majoring in medical sciences and women & gender studies at SLU.

Led by Sheats with content delivered by SLU faculty alongside industry experts including alums—the NVA program covers customer discovery validation business development revenue modeling among other areas essential for budding entrepreneurs.