NMotion Accelerator targets KC startup founders for new venture studio backed by gener8tor; deadline extended to Nov. 2
October 15, 2020 | Austin Barnes
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by the NMotion startup accelerator, but was independently produced by Startland News.
Moving startups forward, faster, has long been the mission behind Lincoln, Nebraska-based NMotion Accelerator — but it’s just one perk of the program that’s generating next-level entrepreneurial growth as it debuts a new venture studio.
“We’re focused on category creation. We want to find founders who want to create a company that actually creates a whole new category in the world,” said Scott Henderson, managing director of the program, fueled by gener8tor — a hub for the creative economy that connects founders, musicians, artists, investors, universities and corporations.
NMotion helps accomplish such work, alongside corporate programming that includes conferences and fellowships. Click here to learn more about the Wisconsin-grown organization.
“The accelerator studio came from insights that we had looking at the gener8tor portfolio and realizing the companies that have outperformed the rest are the ones that leveraged the unique expertise and talent of the founders to unearth new market opportunities,” he explained.
The 16-week program is currently recruiting its first cohort of co-founders and aims to engage forward-thinking entrepreneurs with real-world experience and technical expertise to co-found and launch brand new startups.
“We’re looking for founders who are curious about trends, insights, and opportunities — and want to explore it with our team,” he continued, citing the program’s wealth of resources that includes a global network of investors and mentors. Through the program, each founder will meet at least 100 mentors and at least 85 investors.
Click here to apply for the program before its Nov. 2 deadline.

gener8tor meeting
Founders selected to participate in the NMotion Studio Accelerator — set to launch Dec. 3 — receive $100,000 in investment capital and work alongside NMotion and gener8tor team members to build, design, launch, and iterate new products or services in the first month of the program, with its second and third month dedicated entirely to product build.
“These founders can really benefit from the wide variety of people that have had success building and scaling companies, as well as having unique industry experience,” Henderson added.
“They’ll spend the fourth month meeting at least 85 unique investors who will give them market feedback — from an investors perspective — as well as give them the opportunity to raise more capital.”
Startups created through the program are subject to certain equity agreements with gener8tor, the organization noted on its website.
“I think the best silver lining is it’s so much easier to get people from around the country and around the world to Zoom in, to video chat in and be part of these conversations,” he said.
“An interesting, unexpected upside is it’s simpler to ask high quality mentors and investors to spend time with you because everyone’s kind of slowed down on their travel.”
Kansas City founders are especially encouraged to apply to the program, Henderson said, citing its significant reach in the Midwest and ability to inspire regional connections.

gener8tor Premiere Night
“No one has done more deals in the Midwest than gener8tor and we are doing more programming in the Midwest. We have operations across the region – Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and beyond,” he said, reiterating the NMotion and gener8tor commitment to creating impact for founders.
“Anybody who’s creating a company, there’s tremendous opportunity to plug into all of these programs. … These are all available to Midwestern startup founders [no matter their industry] and we want to make sure they take full advantage of it.”
Click here to read about the success of NEER, a Kansas City startup that recently completed another gener8tor accelerator program.

2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Meat the moment with valor: Veteran cattle rancher deploys co-op model to save the Midwest cowboy
WESTON, Mo. — Almost a decade after launching KC Cattle Company — his veteran-owned and -operated wagyu beef company — Patrick Montgomery is forging a new path to help fellow ranchers and farmers survive. He’s now digging his spurs into Valor Provisions, a direct-to-consumer online marketplace offering premium proteins from small, independent, veteran-owned ranches like…
Student-raised meats graduate to university storefront as consumers look closer at what makes the cut
WARRENSBURG, Mo. — A new partnership puts pork chops, brats and select cuts from across farming projects at the University of Central Missouri in a retail storefront accessible to community members shopping for locally raised meat. UCM Farms — which spans more than 1,000 acres of farm ground within 10 miles of campus — is…
Nonprofit founder, tech people leader join Kauffman as trustees on shared mission: economic inclusivity
The year-long transformation of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation continues this week as the influential philanthropic organization announced two new trustees meant to bolster its rebooted grantmaking strategy and commitment to driving equitable economic mobility in Kansas City. Newly appointed leaders to the Kauffman Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Aimée Eubanks Davis and Kristen Ludgate bring…
No cookie-cutter way to create an entrepreneur, so what’s the catalyst? Inside KU’s venture test lab
Editor’s note: The University of Kansas’ School of Business is a partner of Startland News. It’s a practical testing ground for KU students to flex their entrepreneurial muscles, Ryan Rains said, describing a business program built for could-be entrepreneurs who aren’t necessarily even business majors — and who, ultimately, might choose to abandon their concept…


