Five Wyoming Startups Chosen for gBETA Wyoming Startup Accelerator

Two startups that originated at the University of Wyoming are among five companies that have been chosen for the 11th cohort of the gBETA Wyoming startup accelerator.

Innocorelix and SynerGas, companies that began on the Laramie campus, join Foodease and Solara Tech, both based in Cheyenne, and Jackson-based SoloStudies. This group of companies was chosen from 40-plus applicants for the free program, which is designed to prepare them for fast growth and potential venture capital investment.

gBETA Wyoming is a free, virtual and statewide seven-week accelerator program offered through global venture capital firm gener8tor. It is designed for early-stage Wyoming companies looking to grow, meet mentors and pitch investors. Startup founders receive intensive one-on-one coaching and access to gener8tor's national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners and investors. The companies also receive continuous support as alumni of the program.

Since launching in 2020, gBETA Wyoming alumni companies have hailed from 14 Wyoming communities; created more than 230 jobs; and raised $42.7 million in follow-on funding after completing the accelerator, bringing in $58 to Wyoming for every $1 invested by Microsoft, the gBETA Wyoming program sponsor.

"Microsoft sees incredible value in the talent and potential that exists in Wyoming," says Mike Egan, general manager of Microsoft TechSpark. "We're proud to support that talent through the gBETA program, which creates momentum and ignites economic growth in the region to help create a diverse, tech-ready future for Wyoming."

The Business Studio @ Laramie County Community College also is a valuable supporting partner on the gBETA program.

At the end of the gBETA program, startup founders will pitch their companies to mentors, investors, community partners and the public at a free showcase event from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, June 11, at the Laramie County Community College Flex Tech Building in Cheyenne.

The spring cohort startup companies are:

-- Innocorelix created a chemical compound that mitigates fungus on crops, and its screening platform helps develop products that control fungus and pests. Farmers and drug discovery companies will use Innocorelix's compounds to develop and improve antifungal products. Future markets will include human health solutions. Innocorelix incorporated as a UW spinout in January 2026 with a team of four scientists and a combined 100-plus years of experience in this field.

Eunsook Park, a UW associate professor of molecular biology; Seungmee Jung, a UW post-doctoral research associate in the UW Department of Molecular Biology; Jongchan Woo, a senior research scientist in the Park Lab; and Jason Gigley, a professor of molecular biology; are co-founders of Innocorelix.

"The foundation of Innocorelix grew directly out of our academic research at the University of Wyoming. The spark wasn't necessarily a single farmer knocking on our lab door, but rather the overwhelming scale of the global agricultural crisis," Park says. "Fungal pathogens destroy about $150 billion worth of crops annually -- enough rice alone to feed one billion people. In the lab, our team was studying fungal autophagy, which is essentially how fungal cells recycle their own internal materials to survive.

"We realized that if we could find a way to 'break' this recycling process, it could serve as a highly effective, completely novel Achilles' heel to stop these pathogens. We built a specialized screening tool; discovered it worked exceptionally well; and Innocorelix was born to commercialize it," she adds.

The origins of Innocorelix are deeply rooted in the collaborative environment at UW. The startup's core discovery -- its highly sensitive BRET-sensor screening platform -- was developed by Park and Woo, and validated by Jung, a former Ph.D. student in the Park Lab. Gigley's participation expands the startup's target market into human anti-parasitic agent development.

What started as a fundamental biological question about how fungi survive nutrient starvation quickly evolved into an applied technological breakthrough. Once the research group proved it could use their platform to identify compounds that physically stop diseases, such as Botrytis and rice blast, in their tracks, the contingent moved the technology out of the academic lab and into the commercial market to make a real-world impact.

"Being selected for the gBETA Wyoming accelerator is a critical catalyst for Innocorelix. While our core technology is rigorously peer-reviewed and scientifically validated, gBETA will help us bridge the gap between an academic breakthrough and a scalable commercial business," Park says.

She adds the seven-week program will provide the startup with intensive, hands-on mentorship to refine its go-to-market strategy; help navigate the complex business-to-business sales cycles with major agrochemical and pharmaceutical companies; and position Innocorelix for its upcoming seed fundraising round.

"It is exactly the business infrastructure we need to complement our scientific foundation," Park says.

For more information, email Park at [email protected] or Jung at [email protected].

-- SynerGas delivers scalable natural-gas power solutions for small- to medium-size data centers. Leaders at data centers need energy sources that don't rely fully on municipal or public power from the grid, and they can use SynerGas's solutions to ensure redundant, reliable and flexible energy with on-site infrastructure.

SynerGas developed this concept as part of a graduate student project and was awarded first place and $4,000 for development from the 2026 SPE Energython: "Molecule to Megabyte" Challenge at the Energy Economics and Evaluation Symposium Contest for the U.S. region. The competition took place Jan. 14 in Houston, Texas.

"The premise was to move beyond a theoretical power plant design and, instead, deliver a fully integrated energy solution that connects natural gas supply, power generation, commercial agreements and emissions considerations into a single, bankable framework bridging the gap from molecule to megabyte," Sylvanus Agosu, a third-year UW Ph.D. candidate in petroleum engineering from Ghana and co-founder of Synergas, said after that competition.

The UW team developed a comprehensive techno-economic model for supplying a 10-20-megawatt data center load with a natural gas-fired power plant. The project integrated:

-- Power plant configuration and operational assumptions.

-- A geographic information systems-based natural gas supply and infrastructure analysis.

-- Project finance modeling, including debt structuring and sensitivity analysis.

-- Power off-take and commercial considerations.

-- Emissions estimation and carbon capture and storage-readiness pathways.

"Being selected for the gBETA Wyoming cohort is a great opportunity for SynerGas," Agosu says. "The program gives us the mentorship, network and structure to move from a validated concept to a pilot-ready project, helping us refine our business model, engage potential customers and accelerate real-world deployment."

Gisella Terán, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering from Ecuador, is the other Synergas co-founder.

For more information, email Agosu at [email protected] or Terán at [email protected].

-- Foodease, based in Cheyenne, has created a smart countertop robot that cooks complete dishes automatically using artificial intelligence (AI)-driven precision. Foodease creates an intuitive user experience for home chefs inspired to learn new recipes and experience different cultures and cuisines. Foodease launched a crowdfunding campaign and generated 330-plus paid pre-orders, which will be delivered in the second quarter of 2026. Kishore Kodru is CEO of the company, and Brian Gross serves as an adviser.

For more information, email Kodru at [email protected] or Gross at [email protected].

-- SolaraPod, also based in Cheyenne, manufactures portable, solar-powered containers for keeping critical medication cold, starting with a portable insulin refrigeration system designed for real-world and emergency use. Diabetics use SolaraPod to enjoy freedom and peace of mind while on the go. SolaraPod's prototype is developed and ready for testing.

For more information, email CEO Christopher Allen at [email protected].

-- SoloStudies, based in Jackson, delivers an AI-powered reading platform for students in grades 5-12 that provides real-time, adaptive support as they read, helping them decode and understand text independently. The platform also gives teachers clear insights into student progress and simple tools to personalize support at scale. SoloStudies was awarded a $50,000 Wyoming Kickstart grant to develop the prototype, which is undergoing testing in the second quarter 2026.

For more information, email co-founders Matt Hirbour at [email protected] or Tigger Knecht at [email protected].

About gener8tor

Gener8tor is a global venture firm and accelerator network that supports startups, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. Gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate accelerator programs and conferences in more than 45 communities across 25 states and territories and three countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the "Best Workplaces for Innovators" in 2021 and 2022. The International Trade Council recognized gener8tor as the Global Venture Capital Firm of the Year in 2022.

About gBETA

gBETA is a non-equity accelerator that facilitates the growth of early-stage companies through a network-driven program. This accelerator supports five startups per cohort and requires no fees for startups and takes no equity. Since launching in 2015, gBETA accelerator alumni have raised $1 billion-plus in capital and created 7,100-plus jobs across the U.S. and internationally.

Startup companies and founders interested in learning more about gBETA's programming and resources or applying to a future program can visit the gener8tor gBETA website or email Managing Director Baylie Evans at [email protected]. Those interested in meeting the current cohort companies as mentors or investors are encouraged to connect as well.