By Lauren King, VeloCity
Oklahoma nonprofit organization i2E dedicates its time and effort to invest in organizations through growth, innovation and support. Through its program Bridge2 Pre-Accelerator, i2E assists organizations and businesses in further developing their companies.
“Bridge2 prepares scalable, tech-enabled startup companies for the Oklahoma-based accelerator programs and for funding from private and public sources of investment capital, including the Oklahoma Seed Capital Fund and SSBCI funds administered by the State of Oklahoma,” said Shannon Carr, i2E communications director.
Bridge2 participants are eligible for a $50,000 convertible note investment to assist founders toward launch and growth. During the eight-week program, participants will start an investment pitch deck, executive summary, virtual data room and partake in a live demo day pitch to investors and accelerator managers across Oklahoma.
“This pre-accelerator builds upon the i2E E3 program and guides participants in weekly workshops and coaching calls to explore and build upon the foundation of revenue model, competitive strategy and product launch/customer acquisition,” Carr said.
In June i2E welcomed five new startups to Oklahoma through the second cohort of Bridge2, assisting each organization with revenue, competitive strategy and product launch through coaching calls and weekly workshops:
- Bianca Pietersz and Mirna Baloul created ViziSmart to help property owners manage their properties through AI. ViziSmart allows clients to handle an abundance of tenants with little stress, letting the platform take control of the management side with high-tech features. The ease of such platform features as 24/7 immediate responses, automated maintenance scheduling, One Touch Approvals and full landlord visibility benefit both the property manager and tenant.
- Patient Inform is an online platform with headquarters located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 2023, Dr. John Westlake designed the platform to better emergency healthcare services, utilizing AI to provide patients and family members with real-time updates and accessible communication. Westlake collaborates with urban healthcare facilities to ensure services provided to patients are transparent and efficient, above all else.
- Ryan Dudley designed Balynce, a financial assistance platform, to help the greater public obtain a healthy balance of spending and saving. The platform includes features such as Buy Now Pay Later services, traditional credit cards and budgeting tools.
- The design of Pangia was a combined effort from Kemi Levi, Hannah Clark and Nassir Mohamud. Originally designed to help Gen-Z recover from social repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pangia incorporates member matching, engagement prompts, subscriptions, event ticketing and more. While sustaining these features, the basis of the platform shifted from a place for users to interact into a management platform for community leaders to build engagement. With its new target audience, the platform helps communities thrive.
- RN Latoya Smith developed Dose Calc App for nurses and nursing students alike. Smith concluded that many new nurses don’t feel prepared enough to administer medications, and many students aren’t confident in determining dosage calculations. With Dose Calc App, nurses can ensure their patient receives the proper amount of medication needed.
Within the first course, Bridge2 assisted MOTHERboard, Apexloads, My Marketing Assistant, FanFair and Barista Bot. Bridge2 not only helps organizations and businesses refine current skills and tools, but it also allows them to reach their full potential at an accelerated pace.
“As the needs of the state and founders evolve, so does the Bridge2 pre-accelerator,” Carr said. “We are currently revamping the program to serve entrepreneurs better. We look forward to introducing exciting improvements in our next cohort this fall.”