StartFast Venture Accelerator Announces Startup Teams for Summer 2012

    SYRACUSE, NY, May 10, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- After a 3-month selection process, the StartFast Venture Accelerator announced today the nine companies that will participate in an intensive 13-week accelerator program beginning May 14, 2012. The winners were selected from more than three hundred startups from around the world:

1. Mozzo Analytics (Syracuse, NY and Philadelphia, PA) MozzoLinks extracts all the links from your email. In one glance, you will see an organized summary of your links, searchable by people, topics and time. All your links, right at your fingertips. (http://mozzoanalytics.com)
2. PadProof (Orlando, FL and NYC) The photos you want, in the palm of your hand. A proofing app for the moments that matter, built to go anywhere you do. Preview, share and purchase your photos from your photographer with the swipe of a finger. (http://padproof.com)
3. BitePal (Ithaca, NY) BitePal makes getting a restaurant discount fast and easy. No payments, printing, or registration necessary. You simply choose one of the deals we offer, provide your cell phone number so we can send you a confirmation message, and then show this message to the waiter at your table once you are done eating. (http://bitepal.com)
4. Cayo-Tech (Tel Mond, Israel) Guard My Angel is a mobile application that watches over you without compromising your privacy. Whether you are walking alone in a dark alley, getting on a cab, or anytime you feel you need someone at your side, in the case of an emergency, we will notify your family and friends with the information they need to help you. (http://guardmyangel.com)
5. RevoPT (Ithaca, NY) Web and mobile applications to make physical therapy more personalized and more effective. RevoPT brings a simple, personalized, and interactive home exercise program that keeps patients accountable and increases the efficiency and effectiveness of rehabilitation. (Website under development)
6. Tivity (NYC) A social network for people looking to find, schedule, and share active lifestyle activities with people around them. (http://tivity.us)
7. StreamSpec (Syracuse, NY and NYC) a next generation, image based Internet advertising company. (www.streamspec.com)
8. CanVita (Denver, CO and NYC) The visual and evolving CV for the era of the social web, Canvita showcases your evolution and best work in a fun and intuitive way. (http://canvita.com)
9. YouGift (NYC) A celebration platform for gifting anything, combining greetings and gift cards sent via social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. (http://yougift.com)

Fewer than 3% of the candidate startups were accepted, making StartFast harder to get into than Harvard or Yale. StartFast is managed by veteran entrepreneurs Chuck Stormon and Nasir Ali. According to Ali, "Each of these teams has a big vision. We are counting on them to work tirelessly, accept coaching and demonstrate impressive execution in the marketplace." "With the help of our investors and more than 80 mentors who have volunteered to work with these companies, our goal is to showcase nine awesome investment opportunities on August 16 Investor Day," added Stormon.

StartFast is the first venture-backed accelerator program in Upstate New York, funded by over 50 angel and venture capital investors from around the region and supported by Upstate Venture Connect (http://uvc.org), the Seed Capital Fund of CNY (www.scfcny.com), CenterState CEO (www.centerstateceo.com) and The Tech Garden (www.thetechgarden.com) and several other sponsors.

StartFast Venture Accelerator (www.startfast.net) is an elite mentorship-driven start-up accelerator backed by private investors and modeled on TechStars, the No. 1 accelerator program nationwide. The StartFast philosophy surrounds a small number of companies with highly engaged members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to coach and support them to success.

For more information about the program, see http://startfast.net.

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