SUMMARY
On this special episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Grace Gill, Darian Harris, and Tom Douglass head north to the Ledger in Bentonville, where they sit down with four of the participants in Fuel’s AI and machine learning 2023 cohort. Fuel is specifically designed for seed and growth-stage technology companies ready to scale and become enterprise-ready. Members of the cohort receive mentorship and education from leaders in their vertical, as well as coaching and connections from Fuel’s enterprise partners. Caleb, Grace, Darian, and Tom sat down with Andrew Bart of AlgoFace, Dexter Caffey of Smart Eye Technology, Kevin Butler of Edify, and Keith Fix of Retail Aware to discuss their entrepreneurial journeys and their experiences with Fuel thus far.
SHOW NOTES
(0:35) Introducing This Year’s Fuel Accelerator
(2:51) Andrew Bart and AlgoFace
(13:11) Dexter Caffey and Smart Eye Technology
(23:14) Kevin Butler and Edify
(32:44) Keith Fix and Retail Aware
LINKS
QUOTES
“Even in the mentor sessions, I know we’re here to acquire enterprise-level customers and learn how to be better at doing that and optimizing that process. But the reality is I came here to meet people. The way I’ve operated in life historically is that things tend to develop organically…People do deals with you ultimately because they like you and they trust you. And look, I just want to engage with people in the community. I’ve met an incredible group of people. The exposure [through Fuel] has been nothing short of amazing.” – Andrew Bart, (6:11)
“The business climate [in Northwest Arkansas] is something that’s completely different than any other place I’ve been in the States as well as globally…It’s a completely different environment here business-wise. I don’t think a lot of people understand that.” – Dexter Caffey, (18:26)
“Getting exposure to mentors and business people around the area is a huge benefit [of Bentonville]…But even though it’s a small market, Walmart, a Fortune 1 company, is here. We’re not limited in where those connections go and where the results of Fuel take companies, and I see that as one of the big benefits here.” – Kevin Butler, (27:06)
“I don’t think anyone really understands or knows what’s happening in [Northwest Arkansas] until you get here. It’s just such a hidden gem.” – Keith Fix, (37:29)
FUEL AI/ML COHORT 2023 PART 1
On this special episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Grace Gill, Darian Harris, and Tom Douglass head north to the Ledger in Bentonville, where they sit down with four of the participants in Fuel’s AI and machine learning 2023 cohort. Fuel is specifically designed for seed and growth-stage technology companies ready to scale and become enterprise-ready. Members of the cohort receive mentorship and education from leaders in their vertical, as well as coaching and connections from Fuel’s enterprise partners. Caleb, Grace, Darian, and Tom sat down with Andrew Bart of AlgoFace, Dexter Caffey of Smart Eye Technology, Kevin Butler of Edify, and Keith Fix of Retail Aware to discuss their entrepreneurial journeys and their experiences with Fuel thus far.
ALGOFACE
AlgoFace’s diverse team of innovators has a deep-rooted knowledge of computer vision, augmented reality, and applied artificial intelligence applications. They’ve taken their expertise and built a solution that makes it easier for enterprise-level companies to build and deploy face AI solutions, like virtual try-on, vital sign detection, and enablement of hyper-realistic digital avatars.
“Even in the mentor sessions, I know we’re here to acquire enterprise-level customers and learn how to be better at doing that and optimizing that process. But the reality is I came here to meet people. The way I’ve operated in life historically is that things tend to develop organically…People do deal with you ultimately because they like you and they trust you. And look, I just want to engage with people in the community. I’ve met an incredible group of people. The exposure [through Fuel] has been nothing short of amazing.” – Andrew Bart, (6:11)
SMARTEYE TECHNOLOGY
When Dexter founded Smart Eye Technology, he created it to send documents and files in a safe and secure way, but it’s already grown into something much larger. With both mobile and web apps, users can store and share files, send messages, and connect with friends, all while knowing they’re the only person accessing it. The unique platform uses your camera to verify you’re the one looking at it, and if you’re not at the screen, it will automatically lock. Dexter has also built an API that other companies can integrate into their products, bringing the same safety and security to a larger audience.
“The business climate [in Northwest Arkansas] is something that’s completely different than any other place I’ve been in the States as well as globally…It’s a completely different environment here business-wise. I don’t think a lot of people understand that.” – Dexter Caffey, (18:26)
EDIFY
Edify is a workforce safety software company that helps decrease risk for employees in high-risk jobs. Edify’s platform unites data from carriers, brokers, and companies so that stakeholders can work together to change frontline behavior, reduce workplace injuries in high-risk environments, and minimize claims and insurance costs.
“Getting exposure to mentors and business people around the area is a huge benefit [of Bentonville]…But even though it’s a small market, Walmart, a Fortune 1 company, is here. We’re not limited in where those connections go and where the results of Fuel take companies, and I see that as one of the big benefits here.” – Kevin Butler, (27:06)
RETAIL AWARE
Retail Aware is designed to help retailers and their partners collect first-party data and improve the speed to insights off of product displays in stores. With the use of real-time advanced analytics and sense technology, Retail Aware enables retail brands and their partners to boost sales performance and optimize their product displays to receive the highest engagement.
“I don’t think anyone really understands or knows what’s happening in [Northwest Arkansas] until you get here. It’s just such a hidden gem.” – Keith Fix, (37:29)
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