Zero Percent, a University of Illinois startup, has been accepted into the Impact Engine Accelerator program in Chicago (story from Crain’s Chicago Business).
Impact Engine is a 16-week accelerator program that supports for-profit businesses addressing today’s societal and environmental challenges. Participants receive $25,000 in exchange for 7 percent equity, and receive access to mentors, workshops, work space, and opportunities to pitch to future investors.
Zero Percent is a first-of-its-kind platform that integrates web, mobile, email and SMS in order to make it simple, efficient and safe for businesses to donate food to local non-profits. Started by a University of Illinois computer science graduate student (now an alumnus), Rajesh Karmani, the company has been an affiliate at EnterpriseWorks since April. Good luck Rajesh!