Tick defense, interactive math equations among 2019 FastTrack Accelerator teams

Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank has accepted six new early-stage startup businesses into its FastTrack Accelerator program. The business ideas range from Lyme disease-carrying tick defense for athletes to 3D printing parts for silicone prototyping to helping small businesses grow their customer pipeline.

Through a competitive entry program, Fast Track drew 27 team applications for the no-cost business accelerator program, which is open to Penn State students, faculty and staff, as well as the community. The accelerator, which runs from November through April, consists of 15 weekly group sessions, plus weekly one-on-one sessions with Happy Valley LaunchBox Chief Amplifier Lee Erickson and Idea Catalyst Ben Nason. The teams also gain access to business, legal and intellectual property advice, a suite of free tools, and free co-working space.

“The program is designed to help teams quickly define and test their beachhead market, build solutions based on real customer feedback, and advance their businesses until they win their first customer,” said Erickson.

The fall 2019 FastTrack Accelerator teams are:

• Actinic LLC, a proprietary 3D printing process for soft, flexible, bio-compatible materials that reduces the time and costs associated with prototyping silicone parts.
• First Defense, the first team uniform with a lifetime insect repellent that’s designed to protect athletes from tick bites. Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of Lyme disease cases.
• Office Yum, a concept that connects a company’s remote employees and workforce to local food options to help build culture through food.
• XtraLyfe LLC,  a protective computer case with a charging battery offering four times the life of current remote charging devices.
• Scratchwork, a drawing platform for tablets that digitizes handwritten math formulas or equations and allows users to manipulate individual components of the handwritten equation.
• Market Jumpstart, a concept offering small businesses with limited time and technical know-how the ability to leverage state-of-the-art tools to build and grow their customer pipeline and increase their sales conversions.

Past Happy Valley LaunchBox program graduates include startups such as Phospholutions, Project Vive, Moichor and With U.

About Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank

Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank is a no-cost startup accelerator and co-working space designed to provide early-stage startups with support and resources they need to build a sustainable and scalable business and a viable plan for growth. Programs and services include the Idea TestLab, FastTrack Accelerator, free legal and intellectual property advice, and expert mentorship from Penn State’s extensive network. It is open to everyone — community members and those affiliated with Penn State. Happy Valley LaunchBox is a signature program of the Invent Penn State initiative, and one of 21 innovation hubs located in Penn State campus communities across Pennsylvania. Learn more at launchbox.psu.edu.

The Happy Valley LaunchBox program is supported by a generous gift from PNC Financial Services.