This past fall, the Fidelity Center for Applied Technology and American Underground announced the formation of the FCAT Fellowship—a joint venture that will identify motivated startup founders and support them with “significant access to tech resources and growth support.”
The program aims to select founders with early-stage startups using disruptive technologies and demonstrating the grit and determination to overcome obstacles. This fall, 14 founders fit the bill, becoming the FCAT Fellowship’s first cohort and embarking on a 10-week program (as well as gaining 12 months of all-access coworking membership at AU and additional perks).
On Wednesday, founders comprising this inaugural cohort wrapped up their active participation in the program by presenting their startups at the FCAT Fellowship Demo Day at the Carolina Theatre.
The 14 startups and representative fellows that pitched at Demo Day are listed below in order of presentation:
1. Scale Social AI (Runbin Dong; based on Raleigh) is driving SaaS AI marketing solutions that help food and beverage businesses turn their own customers into their best marketers. (See GrepBeat’s feature on Scale Social AI.)
2. Entreprana (Dana Spano; based in Raleigh) is supporting founders and entrepreneurs with AI-powered tools (including the on-demand coach CHAI) that help them use moments of stress to find their “most efficient path to thriving.”
3. Ver Coaching (Mike Halpert; based in Durham) is providing “non-athletic training” for athletes using a VR system that trains each eye individually and leads to a range of measurable improvements that assist athletes in any sport with an object-tracking component.
4. TwoCents.ai (Naresh Vyas; based in Singapore) is building an AI workforce to help strained financial advisors improve productivity and boost client engagement.
5. KidzHack (Wanda Eugene; based in Gainesville, Florida) assists overwhelmed school counselors with tools that detect students’ emotional shifts, recognize behavioral patterns, and produce actionable data.
6. Gridspot (Matt Fisher; based in Raleigh) is providing reliable and affordable EV charging capabilities for properties facing a growing need to satisfy tenants who drive electric vehicles.
7. Jentry Search (Jonathan Mason; based in Raleigh) is helping governments bring about their desired community benefits through a system that makes it easier to ensure every tax dollar yields measurable benefits and governments can track and analyze relationships with suppliers.
8. Baby Bumps (Victoria Fritz; based in Chapel Hill) makes it easier for couples seeking surrogacy to find suitable matches—and in doing so avoid the stress, complications, and fees that accompany a traditional agency approach to surrogacy. (See GrepBeat’s feature on Baby Bumps.)
9. IX Studios (Jahmir Hamilton; based in Durham) is a video game development studio focused on providing innovative experiences that “excite and unite” within the Metaverse.
10. Focus Cubes (Charith Wickrema; based in Durham) is using an approach combining mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, and AI to detect and address employees’ stress, helping them overcome difficulties and build emotional resilience.
11. Trayecto (Paola Ayala; based in Durham) acts as a co-pilot for financial advisors and the modern worker, providing a multi-faceted platform that helps individuals assess and navigate life decisions with respect to financial implications.
12. Celestic (Aaron Huslage; based in Durham) provides “planetary connectivity” to aid workers, journalists, and others in remote or unstable regions; its “5G network in a box” in particular delivers solar-powered and cost-effective connections with ease. (See GrepBeat’s feature on Celestic.)
13. Elroi (Rachel Cash; based in Durham) presents an “ethical data marketplace” that simultaneously protects customers’ privacy and helps businesses meet privacy compliance requirements. (See GrepBeat’s feature on Elroi.)
14. Deliveri (Jason Brown; based in Raleigh) is an e-commerce shipping solutions provider bringing lower costs and greater clarity to businesses facing mounting shipping needs.
Following the 14 presentations, a series of honors and awards were given out.
Legal Services: Venus Liles of Liles Law awarded legal services to six of the cohort’s founders: Runbin Dong (Scale Social AI); Wanda Eugene (KidzHack); Charith Wickrema (Focus Cubes); Aaron Huslage (Celestic); Naresh Vyas (TwoCents.ai); and Victoria Fritz (Baby Bumps)
Cohort Prize: Prior to Demo Day, each member of the cohort was asked to vote for another member to win the Cohort Prize. In what was described as a fairly decisive outcome, the honor went to Mike Halpert of Ver Coaching.
Grand Prize: Finally, a $25,000 grand prize was awarded to Runbin Dong of Scale Social AI.
Following the presentations and awards, cohort members, representatives from Fidelity and AU, and many who were in attendance migrated to the Durham Hotel for a reception.
While this wrapped up the action for the FCAT Fellowship’s inaugural cohort, we’ve been advised to stay tuned! By the sound of things, a second cohort will be taking shape heading into the summer of 2025.
