17 Startups Join NYU Tandon's Veterans Future Lab Apex Program

BROOKLYN, N.Y., June 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NYU Tandon School of Engineering's Veterans Future Lab (VFL) has selected 17 startup businesses for its first Apex cohort, a selective, year-long incubator program that provides the full host of NYU Tandon Future Labs resources to early-stage startups founded by military veterans, Department of Defense affiliates, and their spouses. The goal of Apex is to help grow each startup to enter one of the Future Labs programs that support more advanced companies.

Housed in the VFL offices at Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Apex provides entrepreneurs with access to NYU Tandon's dedicated incubation program, globally recognized faculty and student staff, prototyping facilities, free desk space, and up to $500,000 in in-kind benefits. Apex also offers a community of military veterans and their spouses who are invested in each other's successes, along with an ecosystem of more than 45 companies across the Future Labs portfolio.

"The VFL is a place where veteran entrepreneurs can thrive and not feel alone," said James Hendon, VFL director. "As a veteran entrepreneur myself, I know how it feels to have everything needed to succeed in business except for the feedback, the network, and the resources that a program like Apex provides. We get into the weeds with our founders to help them help themselves reach the next level — the Apex.  In doing so, we maximize the upturns and reduce the downturns on their journey."

"Barclays is proud to support the Veterans Future Lab and the launch of Apex," said Joe McGrath, global head of banking at Barclays. "Barclays is committed to driving job creation through our support for entrepreneurs, and we look forward to leveraging the skills and expertise of our colleagues as mentors for the veteran entrepreneurs in the inaugural Apex cohort."

The VFL and its Apex program are supported by Barclays, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), Orrick, Herrington, Sutcliffe, LLP, and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The full Apex cohort includes:

Full-Time Companies and Their Products

Active NYC: An online directory of upcoming fitness events in Greater New York City

Emcee Investing: An app that connects experienced investors with inexperienced millennial investors seeking guidance 

Heleot: A customer review website for technology products; provides user-uploaded 30-second video reviews

Hero Homes: Creates and aggregates mortgage-backed securities of VA home loans to help veterans benefit from economies of scale

SherpGuide: A website that connects travelers to local hosts

Onistly : An anonymous 360-degree performance feedback platform for professionals

Reboot Careers: A website that connects job seekers over the age of 50 with employers 

Swordhand: Incorporates timely satellite and LiDAR imagery into virtualized battlefields for troop rehearsals 

Steel Caliber: Creates boutique bartenders' kits  

Thermo Clear: Applies nanotechnology to building exteriors to reduce the impact of extreme climates 

X38: Swiftly creates and maintains secure digital connections for data transport between corporations

Virtual Tenants and Their Products

Lift & Shift Foundation: A non-profit developer of robotics training for veterans combating hidden wounds

New York State Veteran Chamber of Commerce: Membership organization for veteran-run businesses in New York State

Proactive Risk: A digital tool to test the internet security of connected assets

Social Solar: App that conveys all renewable energy purchasing options available to residential ratepayers

Storm King Analytics: Business intelligence platform for corporations

Visual Ops : Device-agnostic technology that communicates processes to diverse actors in real time

The inaugural Apex cohort includes several NYU Veterans Entrepreneurship Training (VET) graduates, including Thermo Clear, Lift & Shift, and Visual Ops. VET is an intensive, free, 12-week educational program for U.S. military veterans and spouses transitioning into entrepreneurship after completing their service. VET was created through a sponsorship from New York State Assembly Member Joseph R. Lentol (D-North Brooklyn).

Veterans interested in learning more about the VFL and its programs should visit https://futurelabs.nyc/labs/veterans-future-lab

About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering
The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within NYU, one of the country's foremost private research universities, and is closely connected to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates Future Labs focused on start-up businesses in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program. For more information, visit http://engineering.nyu.edu.

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