Sixteen startups join the sixth year of CivStart’s unique accelerator focused on utilizing AI-tech to meet the most pressing local government challenges.
WASHINGTON, DC, September 4, 2024 – CivStart, a non-profit with a mission to spark innovation in local government, announced the 16 startup companies set to participate in CivStart’s sixth annual Govtech Accelerator Program — it’s largest cohort yet. The Accelerator received a record-high 117 applicants for this annual cohort. Carefully chosen through a rigorous vetting process overseen by CivStart's Selection Committee comprising both former and current public and private-sector leaders, these entrepreneurs are putting the AI revolution to work for stronger, better local government and the communities they serve.
While sharing a focus on AI technology, the startups address a diverse array of local government challenges, from stopping cybercrime to managing infrastructural risk, to two-way communications with residents. This year, the program is being run in partnership with the National League of Cities (NLC) and the GovAI Coalition. Historically a 24-month model, this year the unique govtech program will be a more intensive 12-months and includes strategic guidance, mentorship, education, and a host of valuable resources that can develop and scale these technologies across the country.
Anthony Fisher, board member of the GovAI Coalition commented: “This partnership represents a long-term commitment to shaping the future of AI in government. Together with CivStart, we can ensure that startups align with the highest governance standards and ethical considerations.” Fisher continued, “This collaboration reflects our deep belief in the transformative potential of AI when guided by principles of openness, inclusivity, and vendor transparency.”
“The AI revolution is happening right now across the eonomy,” Anthony Jamison, CEO of CivStart, said in a statement, “Local governments won’t be left out thanks to forward-thinking government leaders in our network and the incredible entrepreneurs selected for this 2024 Gov-in-AI Accelerator Cohort.”
Gillian Wildfire, CEO of municipal-code startup Fordje, added, “CivStart is a great connector between entrepreneurs and innovative cities. It is an incredible opportunity to learn from the expertise of cities, other founders, and CivStart's mentors and leadership.”
“CivStart puts the tools that state and local governments need into the hands of those who need them. I am excited and humbled that Voting Buddy has been identified as a useful resource for state and local governments,” Dwight L. Williams, Ph.D., P.E.m CEO of startup Voting Buddy commended, “I am grateful that CivStart has put Voting Buddy in a position to help governing bodies to serve more effectively.
This cohort of 16 startups joins an existing 50 govtech startups in the CivStart Accelerator’s portfolio. The startups will be matched with mentors from CivStart’s Mentor Network, learn from experts across the govtech sector, receive unique access to support from established companies, and get opportunities to present to, and learn from, the experience of public-sector leaders.
View all the startups in the latest cohort and in the full CivStart portfolio, here.
CivStart’s network of government leaders and innovative solutions will be gathering for the dynamic in-person 2024 State of GovTech Summit in Kansas City, MO Sep 10-11. Learn more here: https://www.civstart.org/state-of-govtech-2024
CivStart 2024 Startup Cohort
Read more about our current and former startups at www.civstart.org/startups
Ascendant App: a GovTech platform using SMS for real-time, two-way communication, streamlining operations and enhancing citizen engagement with scalable technology.
Zain Khan is the CEO and Founder of Ascendant App, a dynamic startup in the GovTech space. He leads the development of SMS-based tools that improve real-time government-citizen interactions. Under his guidance, Ascendant App is driving innovation in public sector communication and enhancing service efficiency.
With: ‘With’ is a centralized community calendar platform for cities and counties.
Adi Perry is a mission driven entrepreneur who believes that our happiness and well-being are most affected by the place we live in and our relationship with the people around us. Therefore, my mission is to help city managers worldwide build resilient, thriving cities through the power of the transformative 'with' platform.
With a proven track record of leadership capabilities in various fields, alongside financial and operational expertise, I am a committed leader driven by the passion for solving a widely spread significant problem using technology tools.
CivicReach.AI: A voice AI platform for more accessible, equitable, and affordable government contact centers. CivicReach.AI supports towns, cities, counties, and agencies with streamlined resident engagement, service delivery, and customer service.
Chip Kennedy is a social entrepreneur, product builder, and non-profit director based in North Carolina. As the founder and CEO of CivicReach.AI, he is passionate about improving governments' relationship with the communities they serve. For over eight years, he's built startups, technical teams, and products improving the lives of government officials, patients, and doctors. Chip and his family run a non-profit annually serving thousands of families experiencing homelessness.
dependbuild: dependbuild is an AI-driven SaaS platform that empowers municipalities to effectively manage and mitigate risk for their infrastructure projects. By automating risk identification, assessment and management, dependbuild enhances project outcomes, reduces costs and ensure timely completion, transforming how cities build and maintain critical infrastructure.
Conor O’Brien is an active member of the tech startup community in Atlantic Canada and can often be found at a local business incubator.
Enterprise Bot: an enterprise-ready GenAI designed to reinvent local government customer and employee support with a Conversational AI Bot powered by LLMs like ChatGPT that works with your company's data
DigsFact Inc: Our Proprietary AI based product - The PreCogs - prevents financial crime BEFORE they occur, by preemptively stopping transactions from being completed, with 99.7% accuracy!
Fordje: dramatically simplifies city codes so municipal workers and project developers can ensure accuracy and build faster.
Gillian has been finding the right problems to solve across multiple industries - including climate tech (Palmetto), software (New Relic), CPG (Keurig), governments (City of Burlington VT) and non-profits (The Nature Conservancy). She holds a MBA and a M.S. in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University, and a bachelors from Boston University.
Govify: an AI-enabled platform that helps local governments hire, manage, and retain their workforce of the future.
Martin Rufo has more than a decade of experience in tech - with a focus on making things more efficient. Martin led operations for the launch of FINN (Series C) and growth of CreativeX (Series B).
Gamr: Online platform for helping gamers turn their interests into skills and careers in local, state, and federal government through workforce development, mentorship, and more.
Seyi Fakoya has a decade of experience in product management and software engineering, and is currently the Co-founder and CTO at Gamr (his second startup), a platform poised to reshape the gaming and esports industry. Seyi possess an MBA specializing in Business Analytics and a Professional Scrum Master certification, fortifying his ability to steer intricate projects and teams.
govPanel: A powerful, lightweight tool that transforms how local governments capture, organize, and scale institutional knowledge. govPanel helps public servants streamline workflows and maintain consistent, high-quality public services, integrating seamlessly into existing processes while maximizing efficiency.
Recognized as one of the 2024 ELGL Top 100 Local Government Influencers, Vivian Nguyen is a dedicated public servant and social entrepreneur committed to transforming local government operations. Driven by a passion for the intersection of technology and public administration, Vivian leverages extensive datasets and cutting-edge technologies, including generative AI, to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in public service. As a former city councilor in Everett, Massachusetts, she made history as the first Asian-American woman elected and the youngest sitting Councilor, leading initiatives that prioritize accessibility, champion DEI measures, and create lasting, positive change for the community.
Key Caliber: Automated platform that leverages machine learning to empower organizations to optimize cybersecurity resources and ensure cyber resilience
Roselle Safran is the CEO/Founder of KeyCaliber. She was previously the CEO/Co-founder of Uplevel Security, which was acquired by McAfee. Prior Roselle led cybersecurity operations at the Executive Office of the President during the Obama Administration, directing tactical operations and strategic initiatives for the 24x7 security operations center that protected the White House’s network. Before that she managed analysis teams at the Department of Homeland Security’s US-CERT (now CISA), which has the mission of improving the security posture of government agencies and critical infrastructure. Roselle has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree from Princeton University.
Polyloop: an AI platform for measuring impact, the all-in-one workspace for grants, monitoring and evaluation needs of public funds, government agencies, and non-profits.
Co-Founder Ralf Alwani believes in design-led innovation for social good. Before building Polyloop, he founded Urban Scale Interventions, a creative management consultancy that uses design to address social challenges for governments. In recognition of his contributions to government sector transformation, Ralf was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for social impact in 2021. Together with his co-founder Jak, Ralf established Polyloop to productize and reinvent their extensive experience as management consultants.
PSI: an easy-to-use online platform for policymakers to hear directly from thousands of citizens in under 1 hour, with AI-driven analysis that makes sense of diverse voices, enabling more inclusive, informed, and responsive policy decisions.
CEO Georgie Denis has over a decade of experience in the public sector, with much of her focus dedicated to delivering health services. She was trained by the English National Health Service (NHS) Graduate Management Training Scheme, where she developed skills in the co-production of public sector services, stakeholder management, and employee engagement. As a Fellow with the Global Health Corps, Georgie further solidified her expertise in co-creating policies and services to improve the delivery of health services to vulnerable communities. Her experience includes leading public consultations and employing advanced research methods to gather insights, ensuring that public sector strategies are data-driven and responsive to the needs of diverse populations. Georgie is committed to fostering innovative approaches that drive meaningful improvements in public health outcomes.
Readyly AI: A powerful AI-driven platform that helps governments automate resident engagement, streamline service delivery, and enhance internal efficiency across multiple channels.
Kris Sandor and Vijay Jagoori are the co-founders of Readyly, a company dedicated to transforming resident engagement and government services through AI. Kris, a U.S. Navy veteran and former nuclear submarine officer, brings a wealth of experience in government projects and public-private partnerships. His background includes roles as an ex-McKinsey consultant and leader of advanced automation system deployments at Palantir. Notably, Kris led the Citi Bike public-private partnership with New York City to a successful exit to Lyft. Vijay complements this expertise with his deep technical knowledge, having led Software Innovation at Trilogy and optimized service and support departments across more than 50 companies. Together, they combine strategic leadership with extensive technical expertise, positioning Readyly at the forefront of AI-driven innovation in government services and resident engagement.
Sensay: pioneering Replicas as a Service (RaaS) through AI-powered digital clones that preserve, extend, and generate organizational knowledge. We're transforming how businesses capture, share, and leverage expertise, ensuring that invaluable insights transcend employee transitions to drive continuous innovation and growth.
Dan Thomson, CEO: A visionary author on Digital Immortality with 7 years of Web3 experience. Dan's entrepreneurial background and expertise in digital replication drive Sensay's mission to enhance global potential for humanity.
Voting Buddy: Voting Buddy is an online platform that provides aggregated, actionable voter sentiment data to government leaders. It also interactively connects politicians with like-minded constituents in their voting districts. Voting Buddy is now a part of public school social studies curricula.
Dr. Dwight L. Williams, Ph.D., P.E., is a former professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was appointed to the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Department of Political Science. Accordingly, Dwight leads Voting Buddy’s efforts regarding algorithms and political sentiment questions. Dwight developed his algorithm capabilities through his years of education (earning B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees – all in nuclear engineering), through his thirty years of experience generating algorithms for the federal government (serving in various roles over the years such as Senior Science Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy and Chief Engineer/Principal Nuclear Physicist at the U.S. Department of Defense), and through his academic experience as a professor. Dwight’s algorithm skills have led to numerous awards over the years including being named a Director of National Intelligence Fellow at a White House ceremony – this is the highest award available to U.S. scientists based on classified research and accomplishments; earning a Certificate of Congressional Recognition; and being named National Young Engineer of the Year. His non-scientific awards include being named Humanitarian of the Year by the National Society of Black Engineers.
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