(AUSTIN, Texas - July 26, 2018) - Yesterday, AquaSprouts was selected as a top startup for the MassChallenge Texas 2018 accelerator program. AquaSprouts was one of 16 startups selected as a top startup from the 84 participating companies. The top 16 startups represent some of the most innovative solutions across a variety of diverse industries. They will now move into the final round of judging where they will compete for a share of $500,000 in equity-free cash prizes to be awarded at the first MassChallenge Texas Awards Ceremony taking place on Wednesday, August 15.
“We were thrilled when MassChallenge announced their Texas program earlier this year,” said Jack Ikard, Founder of AquaSprouts. “As a company that’s driven by empowering our customers to think critically about sustainability and modern agriculture, it’s inspiring to see an organization like Mass Challenge provide so many valuable resources for Texas startups. The fact that they provide budding businesses the opportunity to compete for equity-free prizes is just one small bonus compared to all the insight and resources we’ve gained during the program,” he added.
Over the course of the Texas-based accelerator, 84 early-stage startups from around the world leveraged tailored curriculum, corporate partnerships and industry resources to launch and grow their companies all at zero cost and for zero equity.
AquaSprouts exists to make the innovation and excitement of aquaponics and hydroponics accessible to everyone. They believe that aquaponic and hydroponic technology can be a cornerstone for future food systems. The goal is to reduce waste and to enable people everywhere to produce clean, healthy food for themselves and their communities. Their launch product - the AquaSprouts Garden - is a miniaturized, living lesson in sustainability. This is crucial in a world where the concept becomes more important every day. This belief in a better future is one reason they place an emphasis on bringing aquaponics and curriculum kits to classrooms around the globe.
“Our progress to date encompasses the full scope of bringing a consumer-goods product to market—seeing an idea through the manufacturing process, expanding sales channels and continuing to improve and refine our offerings. Our growth has been primarily organic, especially due to the burgeoning interest in sustainable living and farming. A cash infusion would dramatically propel our efforts,” explained Jack. “In many ways we have grown disconnected from the food that we eat, and AquaSprouts wants to reestablish that link in a thoughtful manner.”
Mass Challenge has provided AquaSprouts with access to workspace, topnotch mentors/resources and most importantly, a community! The program has helped guide the company’s long-term market strategy by providing insight from countless industry experts. The AquaSprouts team is humbled to have participated in the inaugural cohort and is ecstatic to be selected as a top startup.
About AquaSprouts
AquaSprouts designs and manufactures gardening appliances to bring the revolutionary principles of aquaponic and hydroponic farming into the home, classroom or office. Their launch product - the AquaSprouts Garden - has remained a bestseller on Amazon and is currently distributed throughout North America, Australia, and Japan. Their goal is to ensure that anyone, anywhere who is interested in aquaponics can have a successful experience right out of the box - learning and growing right away. Learn more about AquaSprouts at aquasprouts.com
About MassChallenge
MassChallenge is a global network of zero-equity startup accelerators. Headquartered in the United States with locations in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Switzerland, Texas, and the UK, MassChallenge is committed to strengthening the global innovation ecosystem by supporting high-potential startups across all industries, from anywhere in the world. To date, more than 1,500 MassChallenge alumni have raised more than $3 billion in funding, generated more than $2 billion in revenue, and created more than 80,000 total jobs. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.
