Endeavor Atlanta is excited to announce the second cohort of ScaleUp BHM: an 8-month, nondilutive program designed to equip Birmingham’s fastest-growing, highest potential entrepreneurs with the resources and confidence they need to take their companies to the next level. After a competitive interview process, including panel interviews with leading entrepreneurs and mentors from Endeavor’s regional network, four companies were selected for this year’s Birmingham cohort:
Acclinate is a digital health company that integrates culture and technology to source willing and diverse participants for clinical trials. The FDA has expressed that the lack of diversity in clinical trials represents a significant health concern and has recommended that biopharmaceutical companies diversify their clinical trials or stand the chance of their drugs not being approved. Acclinate’s eDICT™ (Enhanced Diversity in Clinical Trials) platform and #NowIncluded network solve for barriers that make it difficult for industry to close this gap on their own. Alums of both Bronze Valley gBeta and Techstars Social Impact Accelerators, founders Del Smith and Tiffany Whitlow are rapidly growing the business into a leading solution for diversity in clinical trials.
Boulo helps women navigate modern career paths by connecting them with companies that prioritize women's influence in the workplace, value diversity, and promote a flexible work culture. Boulo currently matches women with permanent, temporary, and project roles at local and national companies seeking a variety of expertise. Clients receive a 360° Profile within 72 hours for three to five vetted women rarely found on other platforms. Founder Delphine Carter is layering AI-driven career pathing, education, and guidance into her platform with the goal to increase the Women’s Labor Force Participation Rate over the next ten years.
Immediate is an earned wage access platform that partners with employers and optimizes the financial wellbeing of employees. The platform allows workers to access their hard-earned money in between pay cycles, with guardrails, insights, and education that promote responsible use. By providing a service that eliminates interest burdens and reduces dependence on other alternative sources of capital, entrepreneurs Matt Pierce, Jason Gwizalda, and Michael Orme aim to improve the financial well-being of one million American workers over the next three years.
Linq transforms networking by enabling people to share stunning digital profiles with the tap of an NFC or QR code-enabled product. Their sleek digital business cards, pop sockets, bracelets, and watch bands are entry points for highly customized online profiles, where pro users have the ability to embed videos, music, forms, and calendar integrations and access analytics in real-time. Cofounders Elliot Potter, Patrick Sullivan, and Jared Mattsson recently launched Linq for Teams, layering in company branding and advanced analytics to streamline lead capture and audience development across an organization and make Linq a must-have tool for business growth.
While Endeavor’s ScaleUp Program is offered in other Endeavor affiliate offices around the world, each affiliate designs the content based on the needs of their local entrepreneurial ecosystems. The ScaleUp BHM program is the first to incorporate leadership development for founders. For this year’s cohort, Executive Coach and Endeavor NWA Board Chair Elise Mitchell will administer Hogan 360 reviews and one-on-one Executive Coaching for each participating founder. ScaleUp BHM will also hold monthly “Focus and Fuel Forums” with leading entrepreneurs in Endeavors’ regional network, and match founding teams with experienced entrepreneurs and operators for founder-to-founder mentorship and tactical advice around specific business challenges. With our first Atlanta-based ScaleUp program launching in May, the Endeavor team is looking forward to holding select Focus and Fuel forums jointly with the added benefit of cross-pollinating the ScaleUp peer group across Birmingham and Atlanta markets.
Endeavor’s work in Birmingham is supported by Alabama Power, Alabama Small Business Capital Network, and our Local Board of Advisors. The end goal of Scale Up is to accelerate the growth of high-potential entrepreneur-led businesses and further Endeavor’s mission of scaling up, going big, and giving back.