13 companies selected across MedTech, Autonomous Vehicle, E-Commerce platform solutions for COVID, HR for Remote Work, GovTech and FinTech industries

FourthWave, an accelerator for women-led technology companies today announced the organizations and leaders selected to participate in their virtual 2020 accelerator program, which begins today. This year’s program is tailored to help its cohort reimagine how to scale their businesses in the midst of Sacramento’s COVID-19 environment. The FourthWave 2020 cohort will embark on a 16 week-long journey to elevate their leadership skills, tackle gaps in their business, and prepare for funding. Participants will engage in radical new conversations about leadership, build robust business roadmaps, and attract capital that supports their values.

“We’re excited about this year’s cohort and received many impressive applications, making the selection process challenging,” said Nancy Perlman, FourthWave founder. “This year’s program includes an impressive group of women leaders and companies addressing worldwide medical challenges from cervical cancer to Parkinson’s, the increasing dominance of online commerce solutions in the pandemic environment, the future of food and improvements to processes for employee performance in remote work environments to speeding governmental workflows in response to COVID,” Perlman added.

The 2020 program focuses on companies based in the Sacramento region, but also welcomed applications across California and beyond with an affinity for doing business in Sacramento. Of the 13 companies in the 2020 cohort, ten are from the Sacramento region. Companies selected to participate in the 2020 FourthWave program include:

  • Ananya Ethonova Healthcare is a mission-first medical device company building cryotherapy platforms for treating cervical cancer and expanding access to this care in developing countries.
  • CintaColor created a pandemic solution for salon stylists to deliver personalized subscription hair color kits for home application allowing salons to remotely service customers in a safe and efficient manner.
  • CityGrows is a SaaS workflow automation platform for local governments, enabling affordable, remote-ready, no-code permitting and licensing for cities and counties.
  • De Oro Devices creates devices to improve mobility, independence, and quality of life. NexStride is a small, portable device that uses visual and auditory cues to help people with Parkinson’s overcome freezing of gait, one of the most common and most debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
  • Foodom is an online platform connecting skilled cooks and busy professionals for affordable, delicious, and healthy meal preparation at the customer’s home, turning food from a chore to a passion!
  • Hamama offers a failproof way to grow healthy greens at home year round. Customers harvest nutritious microgreens in a week in their homes with a subscription based service.
  • Humaxa is a software platform facilitating remote work by connecting workforce feedback to company performance via AI conversations.
  • Mustard Square is a multidisciplinary design and production firm operating at the intersection of design + technology for sign programming and state of the art facilities management. The company is adapting solutions for facility management in compliance with COVID reopening guidelines.
  • Purple is a medical supply e-commerce company delivering kits for routine blood draw procedures for travel nurses and mobile phlebotomists on-the-go. The ArmHug kit will ensure every blood draw is fast, packaged with high quality supplies for at home blood draw collection.
  • Revshopp is revolutionizing shopping through personalization. Their solution, Shape Intelligence, enables apparel retailers to lower returns and optimize merchandise assortment by defining body shape and successful fit.
  • Sparck is a personalized employee recognition and engagement platform that understands each person feels appreciated differently. Sparck equips managers with tools and real-time insights to increase retention and team productivity by creating custom reward and recognition experiences that reflect how employees live, work and communicate today.
  • Spyglaz is a platform for proactive customer retention serving the insurance and asset management industries. Spyglaz uses machine learning to predict future customer loss, and delivers insights on influencers and key retention levers.
  • zero5 is transforming parking garages from simple storage spaces into a tech-enabled marketplace for all vehicles. Starting with automating parking garage operation, and through data analysis, zero5 is creating a hub that connects garages, users, and vehicles. zero5 is building a platform that benefits their clients today with an exciting roadmap for the future market of autonomous vehicles and smart cities.

FourthWave has partnered with Sacramento State’s Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship to amplify the rich opportunities in the Sacramento region for female entrepreneurs, developing impactful programs and creating a network of advisors, investors, and other women entrepreneurial leaders.

“The Carlsen Center is honored to partner with FourthWave on the exciting launch of a new FourthWave cohort of 13 women-run tech companies. This partnership is just one more way the Carlsen Center is continuing to help bridge the gaps needed for regional entrepreneurs to develop the tools, mentorships and connections needed to compete in the competitive environment that surrounds them,” said Dale Carlsen.

The FourthWave 2020 begins today with a virtual event and will conclude with an investor salon during The Carlsen Center’s participation in Global Entrepreneurship Week, November 16-22, 2020.

More information can be found on the FourthWave or Sacramento State Carlsen Center websites.

 

About FourthWave

FourthWave is committed to changing the narrative around gender equity, and a core part of that story is seen through an economic lens. Investing in women is one of the most effective ways to reduce inequality and increase economic growth. FourthWave is creating an opportunity for entrepreneurs to chart a new course in business culture with an innovative curriculum designed to facilitate our entrepreneurs’ growth as impactful, conscious leaders. The program addresses the primary impediments to female business owners’ success — a lack of mentorship, startup fundamentals and access to capital. FourthWave was born to alleviate those impediments and to give women the foundation and support they deserve for success. Alumni from the FourthWave Sacramento cohort have raised over $20 million in funding to-date.

 

About The Carlsen Center at Sacramento State

The Carlsen Center’s mission is to make innovation and entrepreneurship simple, accessible, and pervasive throughout the Greater Sacramento Region. Their vision is to become the premier center for regional innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.