Another Five Wyoming Startups Selected for gBETA Accelerator
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Now in its fifth year, gBETA Wyoming continues to strengthen Wyoming’s startup ecosystem with its ninth cohort, which kicked off last month. The following five Wyoming startups were chosen from a competitive applicant pool to participate in the intensive startup accelerator: Elation, Power Theory, Well Oiled Machine, Naughty Fruit and GSO Metals. More details about the companies are below.
gBETA Wyoming is a free, virtual and statewide seven-week accelerator program offered through national venture capital firm gener8tor. It is designed for early-stage Wyoming companies looking to grow, meet mentors and pitch investors. Startup founders receive intensive one-on-one coaching and access to gener8tor's national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors. The cohort also receives continuous support as alumni of the program.
Since launching in 2020, gBETA Wyoming has worked directly with 45 companies. Those alumni companies have hailed from 14 Wyoming communities, created 152 jobs, and have so far gone on to raise $19.5M in follow-on funding after completing the accelerator — bringing in $32 to Wyoming companies for every $1 invested by the gBETA Wyoming program partner, Microsoft.
“Microsoft’s goal in supporting the gBETA Wyoming program is to boost innovation, technology and accessibility for Wyoming entrepreneurs,” said Mike Egan, General Manager of Microsoft’s TechSpark. “gBETA is doing exactly that by creating momentum and sparking economic growth in Wyoming, ultimately furthering the state’s technological progress and creating jobs for Wyomingites.”
At the end of the gBETA program, startup founders will pitch their companies to mentors, investors, community partners, gener8tor staff and the public at a showcase event from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on July 8 at Frontier Brewing, 150 W. 2nd St. in Casper. RSVP here to secure your spot at the event.
At the showcase, alongside the gBETA pitches, attendees will also celebrate the accomplishments of gener8tor Skills Wyoming graduates. This statewide, workforce-focused initiative — also supported by Microsoft — helps job seekers gain in-demand training and career certifications. By supporting entrepreneurs and upskilling workers in tandem, gener8tor and Microsoft are driving economic mobility and innovation across Wyoming.
Startup companies and founders interested in learning more about gBETA’s programming and resources or applying to a future program can visit the gener8tor gBETA website or reach out to Baylie Evans at baylie@gener8tor.com. Those interested in meeting the current cohort companies as mentors or investors are encouraged to connect as well.
Introducing the gBETA Wyoming Spring 2025 Cohort
Well Oiled Machine (Laramie) is developing an AI tool to detect the emergence of secondary blood cancers before obvious symptoms appear. It will permit the use of milder therapies earlier, buying patients valuable years of life. The CEO brings 20 years of expertise in computational biology, genomics and bioinformatics to make this a reality.
CEOs Liudmila Mainzer - liudmila.mainzer@welloiledmachine.llc and Steve Scopel - steve.scopel@welloiledmachine.llc
GSO Metals (Laramie) provides high-quality, local metal treatment services and is looking to expand to anodizing, high-tech coatings and heat treatment—offering manufacturers faster turnaround times, reduced logistics costs and greater quality assurance. With a Wyoming-based facility, GSO Metals will offer services that regional manufacturers rely on and currently must ship products hundreds of miles to out-of-state providers. GSO Metals has 58+ commitments from regional manufacturers that need localized services.
CEO Lloyd Baker - lloyd@goldspuroutfitters.com
Power Theory (Laramie) saves medium to large facilities money on their utility bills by identifying and solving energy hot spots and mitigating extreme climate threats. Energy-conscious people use Power Theory to monitor energy use and predict maintenance needs. Power Theory currently has four pilots underway with customers who have agreed to transition to paying customers after successful pilots.
CEOs Luke Macy - lukem@powertheory.com and Keon Mobasher - keonm@powertheory.com
Elation's (Cody) conversational AI tool interacts with employees to help them achieve optimal performance and role clarity. Through these interactions, the AI engine collects de-identified critical data points that inform leaders to make decisions and guide their teams to achieve their best performance. Elation is already serving more than 10,000 individuals in banking, healthcare, education and more with evidence of helping companies exceed their goals.
CEO Chris Dimock - chris@elation.com
Naughty Fruit (Jackson) brings the flavors of Mexican street fruit to the Mountain West. Naughty Fruit's dehydrated pineapple, mango, apple and mixed fruit packages are spiced with just three ingredients for a simple, clean, nutritious snack with big flavors. Naughty Fruit currently sells online and at 70+ stores in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, including the Bozeman and Jackson Whole Foods.
CEO Juan Morales - info@naughtyfruit.com
About gener8tor
gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate accelerator programs and conferences in more than 45 communities across 25 states and territories and three countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022. The International Trade Council recognized gener8tor as the Global Venture Capital Firm of the Year in 2022.
About gBETA
gBETA is a non-equity accelerator that facilitates the growth of early-stage companies through a network-driven program. This accelerator supports five startups per cohort and requires no fees for startups and takes no equity. Since launching in 2015, gBETA accelerator alumni have raised $848M+ in capital and created 5600+ jobs.