Seven startups to join Launch Chapel Hill accelerator

In just 2 1/2 years of operation the Launch Chapel Hill startup accelerator has helped 42 companies get rolling. Seven more have been selected for the sixth-month program.

The seven ventures in Launch’s Fall 2015 cohort include:

BlipMe: A mobile app started by a student from the MBA program at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, along with two business partners, that allows friends and family to quickly share real-time locations with each other.https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blipme/id981886073?mt=8
Seal the Seasons: Led by UNC students and alumni, Seal the Seasons buys food from local farmers, freezes it in a local facility and sells it exclusively to North Carolina stores, offering residents the opportunity to eat local year-round.http://www.sealtheseasons.com/
SWAP Socks:Creates and sells packs of mismatched socks with a mission to generate aid and awareness for the global visual impairment epidemic, with every pack they sell funding an eye care service for a person in need. Swap Socks was originally founded in California. Earlier this summer the leadership team, which includes two Chapel Hill natives, decided to bring both the business and their production to North Carolina. http://www.swapsocks.com/
Textile Solutions: Led by a UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA student, Textile Solutions takes a technical approach to help textile and polymer facilities streamline recycling and reduce their environmental impact.
Tribal Intel: Run by alumni of UNC’s Kenan-Flager Business School, Tribal Intel utilizes a real-time, dynamic platform to provide its clients with the analytics they need to streamline and focus the sales process. http://tribalintel.com/
Trill Financial: Started by two UNC students, Trill Financial provides subscribers with stock analysis software based on predictive analytics to optimize portfolio holdings. https://angel.co/trill-financial
Waterless Buddy’s: A waterless car washing service founded originally by two UNC undergraduate students, now a team of six students. The service is mobile, offering customers the opportunity to schedule a wash at a location of their choice. http://waterlessbuddys.com/

UNC-Chapel Hill, Orange County and the Town of Chapel Hill are partners in the Launch program.

Startups receive mentoring, workspace and other resources.

“Throughout our competitive selection process these teams stood out for both the caliber of their ideas and their potential for scale,” said Launch Program Manager Dina Rousset. “We’re thrilled to welcome them to our space and look forward to seeing these diverse companies come into their own over the course of the next six to twelve months.”

Thus far, the partners point to a wide variety of new businesses, jobs and funds raised by previous “cohorts:”