Anil Chawla will soon be headed to San Francisco and its “Code for America Accelerator” where he hopes his Durham-based startup  ArchiveSocial will cash in on a new wave of contacts that participation in the program is likely to bring.

The Code for America Accelerator will provide the social media records tracking startup $25,000 in cash – a non-equity grant so Chawla and current investors give up no equity.

More than 190 companies applied, and only five were selected.

He and other executives will participate in a four-month mentoring program, spending one week a month on the West Coast.

But perhaps most importantly of all, ArchiveSocial’s CEO expects to gain access to sources within its key market: Government services.

The accelerator is one of several programs put together by Code for America, which has a very lofty goal.

“Code for America envisions a government that works by the people, for the people, in the 21st century.

“Through the Fellowship, Brigade, Accelerator, Peer Network and Code for All, Code for America aims to improve the relationships between citizens and government. We help governments restructure to create low-risk settings for innovation, engage citizens to create better services, and support ongoing competition in the govtech marketplace.”

Chawla recently was in California to accept a TieCON award as a top 50 venture from the international group of entrepreneurs. He soon will head back for the Code of America Accelerator program, which includes former White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and tech industry thought leader Tim O’Reilly. 

ArchiveSocial already is a 2012 graduate of the Triangle Startup Factory, which provided $50,000 in funding and options to gain much more. The firm also was a recipient of a non-dilutive grant from NC IDEA last year. 

The 2013 Class

“The teams are articulate, knowledgeable, and passionate about their businesses,” the accelerator said in announcing its selections. “They come from all over the country — Texas, North Carolina, Florida, and California — and we’re excited to get started with them.”

Here’s what Code for America said about the five firms:

  • “ArchiveSocial enables organizations to embrace social media by minimizing risk and eliminating compliance barriers. Specifically, it solves the challenge of retaining Gov 2.0 communications for compliance with FOIA and other public records laws. It currently automates business-grade record keeping of communications on networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Moving forward, ArchiveSocial will help further enforce social media policy and protect the organizational brand.
  • “The Family Assessment Form (FAF) Web is a tool designed by social workers, researchers, and technology experts to help family support practitioners improve family functioning, service planning for families, and organizational performance. The FAF is ideal for use in organizations performing home visitation services for families that address comprehensive concerns about family well-being and child welfare. FAF Web enables all stakeholders to access essential data remotely from any internet-enabled device.
  • “OpenCounter helps entrepreneurs to register their businesses with the local government. It does so through an online check-out experience that adapts to the applicant’s answers and asks for pertinent information only once. OpenCounter estimates licensing time and costs so entrepreneurs can understand what it will take to get their business off the ground. It’s the TurboTax of business permitting.
  • “SmartProcure is an online information service that provides access to local, state, and federal government procurement data, with two public-interest goals: 1. Enable government agencies to make more efficient procurement decisions and save taxpayer dollars. 2. Empower businesses to sell more effectively and competitively to government agencies. The proprietary system provides access to data from more than 50 million purchase orders issued by 1,700 government agencies.
  • “StreetCred Software helps police agencies manage their arrest warrants, eliminate warrant backlogs, and radically improve efficiency while increasing officer safety. It helps agencies understand their fugitive population, measure effectiveness, and make improvements. StreetCred Software, Inc., was founded by two Texas police officers. One is an 18-year veteran investigator and fugitive hunter, the other a technology industry veteran who became an cop in 2010.”