Provided by Mark Lieberman, Chief Startup Officer and Karl Mundorff, Co-Director

Below are the companies currently in the OSU Advantage Accelerator/RAIN Corvallis. These companies are about to graduate on Dec 10th – congratulations!

  • Benny’s Donuts: Make and serve and deliver fresh organic donuts quickly and customized for the customer. In addition, the first store will open in January in Corvallis.
  • Holmwell Software: A software company with a focus on easy to use productivity software for smaller companies and groups.
  • Koan Technologies: Developed a revolutionary patented technology for the medical industry. The device secures Hickman catheters quickly and cleanly. Koan also has patented a hybrid off road vehicle.
  • The Curriculum Projects: An integrated online platform to enable schools that have failing state marks, and has validated curriculum in multi-languages from grades K to 8. The program has built in interactive worksheets and does not require textbooks. Accredited teachers may add their own curriculum to customize their classes.
  • Thistle Dew Designs: Manufacturers picture frames that are decorated with preserved flowers now focused on the funeral and memorial market..

Testimony from Accelerator graduate:

“One of the most challenging issues with establishing a business based upon University is that the culture of business is so different than being an Academic.  Your first choices determine success or failure.  The RAIN Accelerator and Venture Catalyst, Caroline Cummings, were invaluable in helping to evaluate these first choices.” – Joe Beckman, Founder of  e-Msion

Other exciting updates from OSU Advantage Accelerator/RAIN Corvallis:

All good entrepreneurs must understand their market and make appropriate changes to be current. The OSU Advantage Accelerator/RAIN Corvallis has followed that dictum and has updated programming.

The Iterate program focuses on Problem/Solution fit and locating the potential markets that can benefit from both resolving their difficulties and finding the correct solution. This four week program is geared toward very early stage entrepreneurs. No homework is required. The next program will start in May in Corvallis although communities may contact us for programs in their area.

The Accelerate! program is based on a  Product/Market fit model which incorporates customer discovery processes. The methodology used in this program is based upon the Business Model Canvas. The program is an immersive two month experience. The outcome of this program is that entrepreneurs have a validated value proposition and target market with enhanced opportunity for success.

Applications for our January program launch are now being accepted. See http://advantage.oregonstate.edu/accelerate for further details.

The Launch program will commence in March. This program is focused on the operational activities required to start their business. This personalized program provides focus on each client business’ individual needs getting to a repeatable sales process which allows for faster scaling of the business.

More information can be found at http://advantage.oregonstate.edu/venture/programs

In Other News

The Advantage Accelerator/RAIN Corvallis just completed the second Iterate program with more than 20 companies/concepts participating.  Companies/concepts ranged from a breast cancer drug to a 3D pinball machine. A number of these companies have been pre-qualified to join our Accelerate! program.

The OSU Advantage Accelerator/RAIN Corvallis was a major sponsor and supporter of Willamette Startup Weekend.  Eight teams spent 54 hours developing their businesses under the support and guidance of entrepreneurs such as Allan Vermeulen the ex-CTO of Amazon, Nitin Rai, the President of TiE Oregon, Surj Patel the Founder and CEO of Smart Mocha and Senior Project Planning Manager IoT – Sharp Electronics.  Willamette Startup  Weekend also exchanged judges with Eugene Startup Weekend allowing for cross-pollination in our ecosystem.

The Advantage Accelerator is seeking two paid half-time Entrepreneur/Executive-in-Residence positions.  The qualified hires will work with our portfolio companies as well as with our new cohort companies.

Our own Anna Walsh played a big role in managing the Willamette Innovators Network Expo held on November 5 at the newly announced OSU Advanced Technology and Manufacturing Institute (ATAMI) where over 50 companies met with hundreds of people to see, touch and talk about new products and processes being developed by the Innovation ecosystem.  This year’s expo was its biggest and most well attended yet.