Five startups from the Midwest and Canada in gener8tor’s Milwaukee accelerator program will graduate next week.

 

“This cohort was selected from our largest applicant pool ever,” said gener8tor co-founder Troy Vosseller. “From drone interceptors to a diversity career advancement platform, this gener8tor cohort demonstrated the very best of startups from across North America.”

 

The latest group of entrepreneurs have been working for three months to build and strengthen their business models. Their companies have headquarters in Milwaukee, Chicago, Indianapolis, Ottawa and Toronto. This round of the Milwaukee program had 1,024 applicants, but only five were chosen to participate.

 

The five presenting startups include:

*PAXAFE, a Milwaukee-based startup with a smart packaging device to provide greater security when sending valuable products like jewelry and electronics.

The company’s solution includes both hardware and software, and aims to reduce loss associated with theft and other logistical failures. According to a release from gener8tor, company leaders are having discussions with “the leading insurer dedicated solely to insure jewelry and the jewelry industry.”

PAXAFE recently relocated to Milwaukee and plans to establish its headquarters there.

“The fact that many startups end up relocating to Milwaukee after their participation in gener8tor is a testament to the great investors, mentors and corporate partners in our network,” said gener8tor co-founder Joe Kirgues.

*AirShare, an Ottawa-based company that builds drone interceptors and control systems to defend against airborne technological threats. The startup has been engaged by the Canadian Special Forces for a $748,000 contract. Read the full story here.