The StarTUp at the Armory team continues to create meaningful connections across co-working, entrepreneurial, and business communities. Reflecting on an extraordinary 2024, we’ve strengthened relationships and provided invaluable resources to entrepreneurs, students, and the Greater Baltimore community.
This year, we were thrilled to welcome over 10,000 new and returning visitors who chose the StarTUp as their go-to co-working and business engagement hub.
On the second floor, our venture resident space is thriving, with near-full occupancy by a dynamic group of innovative businesses. Companies like CurveAssure, Somnair, Zenjoy, Engage All, Hotlines Sports, LIMS-Plus, NORAD LLC, Let’s Tap In, Lytos, ReBokeh, TechPaaS LLC, FLAVE, and Beckman (formerly Stocastic) are not only scaling their ventures but also fostering a vibrant, collaborative community.
Record-setting StarTUp Accelerator success
2024 was a banner year for the TU StarTUp Accelerator, with applications reaching an all-time high. It is now statistically harder to gain acceptance into the TU StarTUp Accelerator than to be admitted to prestigious institutions like Georgetown University or Carnegie Mellon University.




Our sixth Accelerator cohort showcased 14 dynamic ventures, including a record-breaking six consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies. The diversity of our founders reflects the rich talent within Maryland, featuring notable individuals like Dr. Jay Lebow, former foot and ankle team physician for the Baltimore Orioles, and Femi Ayanbadejo, former Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl Champion. The cohort also included two TU alumni founders, Justin Johnson and Casey Jones.
- CERTIFIED BLLR (Justin Johnson – TU Alumni) is a wearable device to improve basketball shooting accuracy and muscle memory.
- Zenjoy (Mack Anderson, Daniel Osborne, Tim Brumbaugh) is a proprietary iced tea blend that contains ingredients to help consumers relax.
- LIMS-Plus (Mike Gaumer and Dacian Florea) offers unique features that allow water testing labs to cut processing time in half.
- JMD Innovations (DBA jbrds) (Mike Gugat, Dr. Jay LeBow, David Hirshfeld, Sameel Osuri) creates patent-pending shoes designed specifically for infants.
- Truuce (Nancy Johnston and Kerry Roberts) is reinventing the ever-frustrating duvet cover.
- Advanced Sports AI (Obafemi Ayanbadejo) predictive sports analytics.
- TANTV (Adedayo Fashanu, Abolaji Omitogun) is an editorial and subscription streaming service catering to the African and multicultural diaspora.
- UfarmX (Andrea Kamara-Dunbar, Alexander Zanders) is revolutionizing agriculture by integrating supply chain management and data collection.
- JJ Innovative Materials (Taein Lee, Mark Wo, Chu Ding) is reinventing construction materials to be carbon negative, stronger and less costly.
- MIVA Recovery (Dustin Hux, Michael DeFeo) is a patent-pending combination sports roller and water bottle in one.
- NORAD LLC (Kumlachew Hirgeto, Diego Toledo) is a lost and found app.
- Revvl (Alexandra “Lexx” Mills, Livv Mills) is rebelling against mundane mocktails with boldly crafted zero proof drinks.
- Supported by the Maryland Department of Veteran Affairs, Hotlines Sports (Casey Jones – TU Alumni, Stephen “Steve” Haley) provides data and analytics for sports betting.
- Sponsored by MedStar Health, Somnair (Mitchell Turley, Dr. Anders Sideris) is the first non-invasive neurostimulation solution for sleep apnea.
- AEAIS (Association for Elite Athletes’ Individual Success) (Allison Benson O’Brien) is a social venture solving athlete transition with a scalable and empirical solution.
Strengthening collaboration and innovation
2024 marked a significant milestone with the launch of the inaugural Student Accelerator, made up of finalists of the College Cup. Running in parallel with the StarTUp Accelerator, this new program further strengthened the collaborative ecosystem between Towson University student entrepreneurs and early-stage founders. The parallel structure fostered a mutually enriching experience, creating a vibrant community of innovators who shared knowledge and drove collective growth.

Our strong partnership with the Pava Center for Entrepreneurship at Johns Hopkins University continues to thrive. Each year, their student cohort joins the StarTUp Accelerator cohort for a day of collaboration and networking. This event provides participants with valuable opportunities to exchange insights, build connections, and broaden their entrepreneurial perspectives.

One of the highlights of the year was the fellows’ field trip to Washington, D.C., capped by a visit to Hungry, where they met founders Jeff Grass and Shy Pahlevani. After studying a case on Hungry in the weeks prior, fellows had the unique opportunity to engage directly with the founders, ask questions, and gain deeper insights into their journey and success.

Highlights from fall 2024
Following the end of the StarTUp Accelerator, we closed out 2024 with some exciting outcomes:
- September: The StarTUp Accelerator Showcase featured all ventures from the 2024 cohort, attracting a record-breaking crowd and showcasing the innovative work of our founders.
- October: Poets and Quants, the leading publication for business-focused colleges, published a feature article titled Unlike Anything Anywhere In The World’: Inside Towson’s Open-To-All StarTUp Accelerator. The piece highlighted the StarTUp’s accomplishments and its significant economic impact.
- October: The StarTUp hosted Dana Frank, a nationally best-selling author, entrepreneur, and advocate for generational wealth creation for a Fireside Chat with Edna Primrose ’84, TU Foundation President. Dana shared key strategies from her book, which offers readers practical steps to rewrite the narrative of their financial futures, regardless of the circumstances they were born into.

- November: In partnership with PNC Bank, the StarTUp hosted the second annual ATHENAPowerLink® Baltimore’s Women in Business Speaker Series. This inspiring series celebrates the achievements, challenges, and insights of women business leaders across Maryland.

- December: Two StarTUp Accelerator alumni received national recognition on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 in North America list:


New sponsorships and partnerships
In 2024, we were proud to welcome new partnerships with MedStar (healthcare), Nemphos & Braue (law), and Greenspring Advisors (financial management). These collaborations provide essential resources and expertise to the StarTUp Accelerator ventures, further strengthening the support we offer to the entrepreneurial community.
Looking ahead to 2025
We are thrilled about the opportunities the new year will bring to the StarTUp at the Armory. Stay tuned for exciting updates, and here’s a glimpse of what’s on the horizon:
- StarTUp Accelerator applications now open: Applications are now open for the next cohort of innovators. Join us to shape the future of entrepreneurship and innovation.
- Upcoming events:
- Don’t miss the Made in Maryland segment on Maryland Public Television in 2025, featuring the StarTUp and our entrepreneurial community.
- In February, we’ll proudly present at the USASBE (United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship) conference, highlighting our groundbreaking work in supporting entrepreneurs.
- Keep building: In 2024, we solidified our position as the largest incubator and accelerator in Maryland, serving over ten times more entrepreneurs than the second-largest organization in the region. As reported by the Baltimore Business Journal, we continue to outpace the other 21 accelerators and incubators in Greater Baltimore.
Thank you for your continued support as we advance innovation and entrepreneurship together!