The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay announced on May 12 that it has partnered with global venture firm gener8tor to launch the second cohort of the gBETA UW-Green Bay pre-accelerator. The program began on April 23 and includes five early-stage startups working in fields such as food drone delivery, healthy frozen desserts, corporate events technology, dog health monitoring, and cocktail syrups.
The initiative aims to support local economic growth by fostering innovation and creating new jobs in northeastern Wisconsin. gBETA UW-Green Bay is a free, seven-week accelerator that offers startup founders coaching, mentorship, and access to investors without taking equity or charging fees. According to the organizers, this program is designed to prepare companies for future investment opportunities while strengthening the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
A welcome showcase event will be held at the Phoenix Room in the University Union on May 13 at 6 p.m., where founders will present their companies to investors and community members. One participant company was founded by a UW-Green Bay student; four others joined through gener8tor and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s Accelerate Wisconsin initiative for international startups.
“Powering the entrepreneurial start-up culture through our partnership with gener8tor is not only great for UW-Green Bay, but for the region,” said Michael Alexander, Chancellor of UW-Green Bay. “It’s exciting to see our next cohort and wide variety of industries they represent.”
Vanessa Huerta, Vice President of gener8tor gBETA, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with UW-Green Bay to bring gBETA to the region. We’re excited to build on the momentum from last semester and bring truly impactful programming to early-stage founders looking to scale their startups.”
The spring cohort features Dulce Gracia (healthy frozen desserts), eBombo (corporate events platform), WagVitals (dog health monitoring collar), Still Syrup (wellness beverage products), and Skybite (food drone delivery). The University extends its reach across Northeast Wisconsin through multiple campus locations and provides over 200 academic programs according to its official website.
The university emphasizes regional care, educational inclusivity, diversity promotion, environmental initiatives such as an arboretum and biodiversity center, as well as resilience symbolized by its Phoenix nickname according to its official website.
Startup founders interested in participating or mentoring can find more information on gener8tor’s website or contact Program Manager Soumya Trivedi.
