Audible, an anchor in Newark, invites startups with game-changing ideas and a passion for innovation to be a part of this unique opportunity. Audible, the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio content, is excited to announce the launch of its groundbreaking startup attraction program, aimed at fostering innovation and economic growth within the state of New Jersey. This initiative, known as the Audible Startup Attraction Program, is designed to attract promising startups to the state by offering a substantial grant of $250,000 to selected startups that choose to establish or expand their operations in New Jersey.
“We’re proud to be creating economic opportunities for the growing innovation sector, local businesses, workers, and residents to thrive. Our startup attraction efforts are leading the way in this resurgence by thoughtfully and equitably growing the tech and innovation ecosystem, empowering diverse founders and supporting the local economy.” said Aisha Glover, Vice President of Urban Innovation for Audible’s Global Center for Urban Development.
- $250,000 Grant: Startups selected for this program will receive a grant of $250,000, which can be used to fuel growth, develop innovative products or services, and enhance their operations.
- Access to Expertise: Participating startups will gain access to a network of experienced professionals, mentors, and advisors from Audible and its partner organizations like Newark Venture Partners (NVP). This access to expertise will provide invaluable guidance and insights for startups to scale their ventures effectively.
- The Program targets startups with at least 10 employees, at the seed or Series A stage, and which are looking to expand or relocate to Newark.
- Aims to support companies in Tech, Innovation, Entertainment and Hospitality.
- The business attraction efforts will also facilitate leasing opportunities at buildings in Newark’s Harriet Tubman Square, such as 33 Washington Street, 550 Broad Street, 494 Broad Street, 540 Broad Street and 536 Broad Street.
“This innovative pilot program is another scalable model that can be adopted by other companies seeking to make an impact in the cities they call home,” said Audible Founder Don Katz. “It is gratifying that since moving our US headquarters to Newark and the launch of many efforts to impact and accelerate positive change, that so many Audible employees are drawn to work at Audible because of our People Principles, which includes our stated commitment to the people and city of Newark.”
This is beyond exciting, with six companies in the tech innovation, hospitality, and entertainment sectors already participating in the program, and will be expanding in Newark. Four new tech startups have leased office space in 550 Broad Street, while Newark Culture Club is opening at 12 Halsey Street, and Harlem’s BLVD Bistro will open a second location in the mixed-use space at 33 Washington Street – all located in Newark’s newly created burgeoning arts and innovation district adjacent to Harriet Tubman Square and home to Audible’s headquarters.
Hear it all in Audibles own words Audible.com – Audible’s New Business Attraction Program Fuels Newark’s Innovation Economy
Some of the companies already taking advantage of the program:
ABF Creative is a multicultural kids and family podcast network and production company, founded by Newark native Anthony Frasier, that joins Audible in the audio and podcast industry. ABF Creative leverages its unique production framework to deliver award-winning IP that builds emotional and cultural connections through loveable characters and compelling narrative storytelling.
Gymble (pronounced gym-bull) is a fitness app, founded by three athletes from Charlotte, NC, that connects communities to facility rentals, personal training and fitness experiences. The all-in-one platform helps fitness facilities and entrepreneurs market to their customers and manage their bookings more effectively.
co:census is a collaborative, cloud-based workspace for urban planning and design teams to learn, plan, create, analyze, and work together as they conduct research projects and community engagement. The company’s enterprise solution is used by Ford Mobility, MIG, and Habitat for Humanity’s teams to plan community engagement, create projects to collect feedback and analyze text and voice data with their patent-pending AI.
Fitnescity is a consumer health startup that gives consumers easy access to wellness tests, along with personal analytics, while allowing local clinics to reach more consumers. Designed to make health and wellness testing convenient and accessible, Fitnescity partners with local clinics, labs and leading healthcare providers across the country to provide wellness tests. It also enables consumers to track their wellness goals and outcomes over time with a user-friendly personal analytics platform that can not only make test results easier to understand, but also, in the long term, develop predictive models to inform wellness decisions.
If you are considering this program EqualSpace has space for your startup to choose Newark, we have an entire campus at 550 Broad Street that will be the perfect base of operations as you plant roots in this amazing city! So contact us to learn more about the program and how we can support you! Email us iamequal@equalspace
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