Recap: Winter 2021 Startup Matchmaking

One of the biggest challenges student founders across Northwestern working on startups face is finding a team to help build their ideas. Many students are seeking co-founders, some are searching for help in marketing and graphic design, and others need some technical help to build their MVP (minimum viable product). The Garage’s popular Startup Matchmaking event aims to connect student founders in the Tinker and Residency programs with Northwestern students eager to gain experience and join a startup! 

This quarter, Startup Matchmaking, held on January 20, attracted over 60 students excited to hear from 27 startup teams incubating in programs at The Garage. Student founders pitching their startups and sharing what type of help they were seeking represented multiple schools across Northwestern, including Kellogg, SESP, McCormick, the Pritzker School of Law, Weinberg, and more. 

Startups pitching at Startup Matchmaking ranged in industry from international nonprofit projects to health technology and inclusive social media and networking platforms. The Garage welcomes any and all ideas - whether for profit, nonprofit, or even arts based. After the teams pitched, attendees were able to visit separate Zoom rooms to drop in, ask questions, and learn more about the startups they were most intrigued by. 

A few of the pitching startups included: 

Authentic Media Ascension (AMA): AMA is a digital agency focused on helping creators build their audiences through growth analytics and strategy.

The Equal Opportunity Book Box: We're a diverse children's book subscription service that donates one book for every book sold.

NeuApp: Neuroscience Applications develops cutting-edge technology, from mind reading to brain engineering, to optimize brain health and enhance human performance.

Palette: Dry Bar for makeup offering affordable, efficient, quality makeovers.

Events like Startup Matchmaking that connect us are important in a virtual world. They help students from across Northwestern interested in entrepreneurship develop the valuable connections that make The Garage community so special. It allows new startups to gain much needed help from other students, and exemplifies just how energized the Northwestern startup ecosystem is. 

All of the pitching startups from this quarter’s Startup Matchmaking are listed here, and you can watch the full event below. 

https://youtu.be/spk20xi0Q-I

Startup Matchmaking is held every quarter for Residents and Tinkerers of The Garage, and all Northwestern students interested in the startup community at Northwestern are invited to join to not only find the perfect startup match, but to learn more about the many resources available through The Garage. Keep up with all things entrepreneurship and The Garage and sign up for The Garage’s monthly newsletter, here.