Vermont Business Magazine LaunchVT, a division of the Lake Champlain Chamber, has selected eight Vermont startups to participate in its 2025 Accelerator. This is the 13th cohort to come through LaunchVT’s flagship program. Since 2013, LaunchVT has provided business development support, strategic coaching, and over $1.3 million in cash and services to accelerate 87 Vermont startups statewide.
Cathy Davis, president and CEO of the Lake Champlain Chamber, said, "LaunchVT's core mission is to support the entrepreneurs and startups driving our economic progress. The Lake Champlain Chamber’s mission is to grow economic opportunity, and LaunchVT is a big part of that. I'm really excited about this year's startups and what they will do for Vermont."
Entrepreneurs in the LaunchVT cohort will work with a dedicated business coach and strategic advisors to address their startup’s most pressing needs. Over the 12-week program, which kicked off on April 2, they will also participate in peer sessions, office hours with business advisors, and workshops with content experts.
LaunchVT’s flagship event is Demo Night at Hula on June 24 from 5-8pm. The cohort of founders will pitch their businesses to investors and the public. Hula will host the event and Tom Messner will serve as the evening’s emcee. Each entrepreneur will leave the program with a refined and polished pitch deck, an executive summary for investors, and extensive connections to advisors, investors, service providers, and other local founders.
“LaunchVT 2025 is shaping up to be an incredibly dynamic cohort,” says Lauren Bass, director of LaunchVT. “These founders are already making waves — generating revenue, building their brands, and contributing to Vermont’s economy in meaningful ways. Their progress reflects the incredible energy and potential in our state’s startup community.”
The startups selected for the 2025 LaunchVT Accelerator Cohort are:
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Cardchain AI - Dan Hughes & Levi Hughes
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Heron's Marine - Kenny Richards & Jeremy Frederick
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humNET - Darren Mark
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Kitty Badhands - Kat McVeigh & Dale Donaldson
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Rugged MicroPower - Paul Shepherd
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TukTu Inc. - Rustam Sengupta
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Vship - Ahmed Aly
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Xander Medical - Ali Bisaccia & Jackson Bisaccia
LaunchVT is made possible thanks to their amazing partners, including All Stage, Better Business Bureau, Cicada, Cherian Philip, Chris O’Connell, Dinse, Dudley Fund, Doug Merrill, Engage CFO, Forecast LLC, FreshTracks Capital, Gallagher, Flynn & Company, LLP, Jason Mintz, Jeff Chu, JHCapital, Gallagher, Flynn & Company, LLP, Hula, Inner Citadel Consulting, JPMorgan Chase, Karen Walker-Beecher, Kevin Emmert, Lee Bouyea, Leonardo’s Pizza, Mascoma Bank, Merrill Family Foundation, NBT Bank, Ruth and Peter Metz Family Foundation, M&T Bank, Omer Trajman, Trevor Barlow, Tom Messner, Small Business Administration, University of Vermont, Vermont Community Foundation, Vermont Department of Economic Development, Vermont Federal Credit Union, Vermont Economic Development Authority, and VELCO.
LaunchVT is a division of the Lake Champlain Chamber, Vermont’s largest business advocacy organization. The Lake Champlain Chamber powers prosperity in the Lake Champlain region through five distinct points: seeking economic opportunity for all; celebrating business ownership and entrepreneurship; promoting a robust, diversified visitor economy; cultivating community leadership; and nurturing emerging talent.
Source: BURLINGTON, Vt. (April 8, 2025) – Lake Champlain Chamber, visit www.lccvermont.org. To learn more about LaunchVT, visit www.launchvt.com.
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