The Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) will announce the first participants of Ten50 – West Virginia’s Business Accelerator – at its downtown Huntington facility at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1.
RCBI’s Ten50 Business Accelerator drives innovation, entrepreneurship, economic development and ultimately job creation by supporting entrepreneurs and their early-stage, growth-driven companies.
Only startups with ideas that have the greatest commercial potential were chosen from the field of nearly three dozen applicants for Ten50’s inaugural class of entrepreneurs. One is an inventor who designed a device to overcome a common problem when feeding livestock. Another participant developed technology that promises to save children’s lives. Each concept has great potential, but the startups need support to turn their impressive ideas into profitable businesses.
Joining RCBI Director Charlotte Weber and representatives of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Congressman Evan Jenkins and the West Virginia Development Office for the introduction of Accelerator participants are Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, the Ten50 board of advisors and Ten50 Director Bryan Shaw.
Participants will spend three months at Ten50, working from office space at RCBI. They will receive guidance and support from a global network of experts and mentors, including RCBI’s experienced staff, successful business leaders from across the state and faculty members of Marshall University’s Lewis College of Business.
They will have access to RCBI’s statewide Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centers in Huntington, Charleston and Bridgeport that offer specialized training and more than $20 million of leading-edge prototyping and production equipment – including Additive Manufacturing technology with 3D Printers.
The Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) provides leading-edge equipment, specialized training and staff expertise so entrepreneurs and manufacturers of all sizes can innovate, create jobs and thrive.