1492, the second voyage, is a community collaboration among TechColumbus, Columbus State Community College and the Columbus College of Art & Design, with support from the Ohio Third Frontier. This is the second year for 1492, which previously launched the successful MobilGPS apps development company Mobile Xpeditions. Mobile Xpeditions has gone on to win other business launch competitions, raise follow-on funding, and gain its key first customers.

Five promising companies have been selected by an independent panel of judges to participate in the second voyage.  Each participant will receive up to $20,000 in funding, as well as coaching and mentoring services from some of the region’s leading experts in company formation, venture capital and entrepreneurism.  

The goal of the 1492 Business Accelerator program is to help these companies reach the next critical milestone in their growth quickly  – whether that be completing or expanding their product or service, gaining their first customer or positioning themselves for follow-on funding – all within the context of an 11-week program.