Fuel Accelerator Launches Seventh AI/ML Cohort, Kicks Off Aug. 25

Startup Junkie program to bring 12 ventures to NWA for 10 weeks

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Startup Junkie Foundation’s Fuel Accelerator kicks off its Fall 2026 AI/ML cohort next Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Compton Gardens in downtown Bentonville, welcoming 12 artificial intelligence and machine learning ventures for 10 weeks of expert-led curriculum, mentorship and curated introductions to enterprise customers across the Heartland.

The class is Fuel’s seventh AI/ML cohort and its 13th overall since Startup Junkie launched the program in 2018. The companies come from seven states and Argentina, and three are Arkansas-based. They will work in person from the Fuel program headquarters inside the Learning Lab at The Collaborative, a University of Arkansas facility in the Greenway Office Park campus in downtown Bentonville, up to the Showcase Day on Oct. 28.

“Many leaders in both startup and corporate are invested in the ongoing wave of AI innovation but these stakeholders are not often enough in the same room. This group of innovators have developed impressive, enterprise-ready solutions and we are thrilled to be a conduit to commercial success, addressing real enterprise problems, here in Arkansas,” said Program Director Grace Gill. “This cohort spans legacy focus, including supply chain, retail and logistics, as well as cutting edge solutions across cybersecurity, development and public safety.”

The Fall 2026 AI/ML cohort

• LiquiDonate – Oakland, Calif. — Software that automatically reroutes retailers’ excess inventory, returns and unsellable goods to nonprofits instead of landfills, including sending customer returns straight to a local nonprofit rather than back through the warehouse.

• GALE Project – Austin, Texas — Modular pods mounted on utility poles that pair cameras and alert systems with an autonomous drone dock, letting police and fire departments launch a drone remotely as a first responder.

• Aptly – Oklahoma City, Okla. — System of record for who is authorized to approve, sign or commit on a company’s behalf, replacing the spreadsheets and policy PDFs that banking, energy and manufacturing enterprises still use to track signing authority.

• Fleet Defender – Omaha, Neb. — In-vehicle cybersecurity for trucking fleets, with a 24/7 vehicle security operations center that detects and shuts down cyber threats along with fuel and trailer theft.

• Buy-it.ai – San Antonio, Texas | Warsaw, Poland — AI that identifies the products shown in a video, matches them to retailer inventory and builds a branded microsite where viewers can buy what they saw.

• LeanSite AI – Dallas, Texas — Building maintenance platform for organizations with multiple locations — healthcare providers, retailers, restaurants and fitness brands — that schedules repairs, coordinates service providers and tracks maintenance automatically.

• Foreko – Springdale, Ark. — Supply chain platform for consumer packaged goods and direct-to-consumer brands that connects sales, warehouse and inventory data, then recommends what to order and places the purchase order once approved.

• NicklPay – Boston, Mass. — One dashboard for product companies selling both wholesale and direct to consumers, covering orders, inventory, purchasing and payments, with an assistant that flags low stock and at-risk accounts.

• Sentrio – Buenos Aires, Argentina — Platform that translates cyber risk into dollars, telling security and finance leaders what a specific breach scenario would cost and which security investments reduce the most risk per dollar spent.

• Gumption – Fayetteville, Ark. — AI hiring platform with customizable pipelines that matches candidates to employers, serving businesses, job seekers and independent recruiters.

• Advisar – Fayetteville, Ark. — Independent measurement layer for suppliers advertising on Walmart Connect, auditing retail media spend against sales results, with other retail media networks planned.

• Scale Social AI – Raleigh, N.C. — Platform that collects content from a brand’s own customers, clears the usage rights and scores each asset before it runs as paid or organic advertising.

“We know how valuable time is. And these founders, most of whom will be traveling in from all over the country, are committing 10 weeks of that time to participate in this program,” said Caleb Talley, executive director of Startup Junkie Foundation. “We don’t take that for granted, and we appreciate the trust they’re putting into Fuel and our team, and we’re eager to show up, deliver an impactful experience, and allow our ecosystem to exceed their expectations. We’re so grateful, too, to AEDC and the Walton Family Foundation for making the work possible.”

Gill, who has supported ten Fuel cohorts since joining the Startup Junkie team, enters her second year leading the Fuel program. She is joined by Operations Manager Danny Duong, a certified Project Management Professional and an alumnus of an early Startup Junkie accelerator, along with returning Mentor in Residence Permjot Valia, a globally recognized pitch coach and serial entrepreneur who also founded MentorCamp, which was hosted in Arkansas this summer for the first time in over a decade. Fuel also welcomes back go-to-market expert and curriculum advisor Andrew Goldner, co-founder and CEO of GrowthX. A robust roster of local mentors, subject-matter experts and enterprise volunteers round out the network of support awaiting this year’s cohort.

Fuel was launched by Startup Junkie Foundation in 2018 and has run 12 cohorts spanning AI/ML, HealthTech, supply chain logistics and cybersecurity. Its 98 alumni ventures represent 21 states and 11 countries. More than 30 out-of-state companies opened and still operate a local office or ongoing presence in Arkansas, and more than 10 founders relocated their headquarters to the state, some before the program concluded. Fuel alumni have raised more than $260 million to date, including more than $60 million during or within a year of participating, and secured more than 150 enterprise pilots or contracts during or following the program. More than 300 new jobs have been created by Fuel cohort companies, according to alumni update surveys, along with hundreds of ongoing relationships with local mentors, ecosystem partners and enterprise clients.

Fuel is a no-cost, equity-free program made possible by the financial support of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Walton Family Foundation. Startup Junkie was one of two organizations to receive multiple accelerator grants from AEDC in 2026, and Fuel was the only program to earn two of the twelve awards issued through the Arkansas Business and Technology Accelerator Grant Program.

The entrepreneurial and enterprise community is invited to welcome the cohort at the kickoff Tuesday, Aug. 25, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at Compton Gardens, 312 N. Main St. in Bentonville. The evening will feature brief introductions from each founder of themselves and their venture, bookended by networking and refreshments. The event is no-cost and RSVP is required here. For more information about Fuel Accelerator, visit fuelaccelerator.com.

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About Fuel Accelerator

The Fuel Accelerator program is a 10-week enterprise-ready accelerator designed to help seed and growth-stage tech startups become enterprise ready. It provides startups with the training, resources, and connections necessary to accelerate the adoption of tangible technology solutions. Unlike traditional accelerators, Fuel focuses on operational value training in addition to venture capital coaching. The program offers hands-on education, workshops, and feedback sessions, allowing participants to gain nurtured relationships and valuable insights. Fuel is a no-cost and no-equity accelerator based in Northwest Arkansas with offices in the University of Arkansas Learning Lab at The Collaborative in Bentonville.

About Startup Junkie Foundation

Startup Junkie is a mission driven organization that exists to improve lives through innovation and entrepreneurship. With a goal to stimulate economic growth in the region, the organization provides a variety of services including mentorship, consulting, training, and more. Startup Junkie has an extensive network of partners and professionals that are dedicated to enhancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Northwest Arkansas. The organization has served thousands of entrepreneurs and small business owners through one-on-one consulting, curated programs and over 200 events a year.

Media contact

Caleb Talley, Executive Director, Startup Junkie Foundation
caleb@startupjunkie.org | 479-879-7997

Grace Gill, Director, Fuel Accelerator
grace@fuelaccelerator.com | 316-305-1386