Supporting startups and small businesses in underinvested communities looking to attract capital for growth.
Unlock Capital is an accelerator program for startups and high growth businesses focused on raising capital from investors that seek both financial and social returns. Unlock Capital offers education, mentoring, technical assistance, and individualized advisory services to help businesses attract investments and raise capital.
Because of our experience and focus on venture capital and private equity investments, Community Development Venture Capital Alliance (CDVCA) has a deep understanding of what it takes to prepare businesses to raise capital effectively.
Unlock Capital. Invested in Your Growth.
2025 Cohort
The Community Development Venture Capital Alliance’s 2026 National Unlock Capital Cohort includes a widely sourced group of early-stage companies spanning healthcare, sustainability, workforce development, education, infrastructure, and consumer innovation. Collectively, the cohort highlights a strong pipeline of businesses developing practical, growth-oriented solutions for markets shaped by unmet needs, shifting demand, and evolving institutional priorities.
For deeper insight into any of the businesses profiled below, or to discuss opportunities to engage with the cohort, please contact David Geeter (dgeeter@cdvca.org), Program Manager, and/or Olivia Al (oal@cdvca.org), Venture Associate at CDVCA.
AGTECH & SUSTAINABLE CONSUMER INNOVATION
This cohort theme brings together companies addressing resource efficiency, sustainable inputs, and environmentally conscious product development across both agricultural and consumer markets. While the businesses span distinct categories, they share exposure to long-term tailwinds around supply chain resilience, lower-impact production, and shifting consumer and enterprise demand for more sustainable alternatives. The theme includes both enabling technologies and differentiated products that seek to improve how goods are grown, formulated, and brought to market.
PittMoss: Peat-free, recycled fiber growing media delivering higher yields with less water and fertilizer and a lower carbon footprint.
Series A | Ambridge, PA
FarmMind: AI-powered agricultural intelligence for field analytics, input optimization, and streamlined workflows.
Pre-seed | Baton Rouge, LA
Sip Herbals: Caffeine-free coffee alternatives that keep the ritual while delivering calm, functional energy.
Seed | Gresham, OR
Caire Beauty: Patented, hormone-smart skincare addressing peri- to postmenopausal skin changes.
Pre-seed | New York, NY
Bea's Bayou: Probiotic-powered, bayou-inspired treatments to calm chronic itch and restore scalp-to toe-balance.
Pre-seed | Metairie, LA
HEALTHCARE DELIVERY, DIAGNOSTICS & CONSUMER HEALTH
This cohort theme brings together companies focused on improving how health conditions are identified, monitored, and supported across a range of care settings. Across the cohort, that opportunity takes different forms, including diagnostics, clinical workflow tools, condition-specific solutions, and consumer-facing health platforms. Several of these businesses are also addressing populations and care needs that have historically been underserved, pointing to a broader push toward more inclusive models of care. Collectively, these businesses point to a healthcare market increasingly shaped by personalization, earlier intervention, and more accessible models of support outside traditional care settings.
MyMonitor.Ai: Melanin-aware imaging and AI for objective dermatology assessments and inclusive clinical research.
Pre-seed | Philadelphia, PA
Kushae: Doctor-developed femtech using biological intelligence to address chronic vaginal health conditions.
Seed+ | West Palm Beach, FL
Prevential Health: CAP/CLIA clinical lab using micro-sampling to deliver remote, low-cost testing without a phlebotomist.
Seed | Independence, MO
Mother of Fact: Digital maternal nutrition care connecting patients to registered dietitians across fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum.
Seed | Langdon, NH
Greens Health: Chronic care management and patient support for Medicare seniors with culturally attuned coaching.
Pre-seed | Houston, TX
TrueSee Systems: Smartphone clinical photography with verifiable color accuracy and audit trails for AI-ready, defensible images.
Series A | New Orleans, LA
Immergo Labs: XR telehealth for movement care with full-body tracking and immersive home programs.
Pre-seed | Mountain View, CA
Isimcha Health: Patient engagement and plain language clinical trials tools to increase diverse participation and informed consent.
Pre-seed | Durham, NC
FirstThen: Family-centered digital therapeutic and AI coach delivering scalable psychosocial care for pediatric ADHD.
Pre-seed | Dallas, TX
Voiceblocks: Special education support and documentation platform for families and schools; designed to ease IEP navigation and compliance.
Pre-seed | Indianapolis, IN
Rubitection: AI skin health assessment and care management for chronic wounds and dermatology—device plus software.
Seed+ | Pittsburgh, PA
Coils to Locs: Premium textured medical wigs(3C–4C) through hospital partners for culturally affirming care during medical hair loss.
Seed | Dorchester, MA
Z-Loupes: Patented, hands-free surgical and dental loupes designed to reduce ergonomic strain, support infection control standards, and improve clinician comfort and procedural efficiency.
Seed | Syracuse, NY
WORKFORCE, EDUCATION & OPERATIONAL ENABLEMENT
This cohort theme captures companies building infrastructure for access, readiness, and operational performance across the learning-to-work lifecycle. The businesses represented here span talent acquisition, workforce support, education, higher-ed enablement, and enterprise operations, but are linked by a common focus on reducing friction in how individuals and organizations make decisions, build capability, grow talent, and move through key institutional pathways. From an investor perspective, the theme reflects continued demand for platforms and services that improve matching, efficiency, and outcomes in markets where fragmentation and process inefficiency remain significant.
CLARA: AI-powered skills assessments that surface transferable talent and improve shortlist quality.
Seed+ | Phoenix, AZ
Productions.com: AI-enabled marketplace connecting brands with vetted local creative talent to hire faster and reduce costs.
Seed | Atlanta, GA
JourneyTrack: Enterprise journey management to operationalize Customer Experience (CX), align teams, and drive insight-led growth.
Seed+ | Doral, FL
Arbol: Student financial success platform providing clear, personalized plans from admission to graduation.
Pre-seed | Buffalo, NY
CFO for Women: Fractional CFO services installing simple SOPs and real-time cash clarity for confident, scalable decisions.
Pre-seed | Atlanta, GA
Top Tutors for Us: Culturally competent tutoring and data-driven learning plans that lift scores and expand opportunity.
Pre-seed | St. Louis, MO
Lovare Institut: Boutique LSAT and law admissions coaching with structured playbooks and AI-enabled support.
Seed | Washington, DC
Black and Mobile: Delivery platform connecting consumers to Black-owned restaurants and expanding market access for independent food businesses.
Seed | Philadelphia, PA
iZen ai: Offline capable learning platform with job-aligned training and an adaptive AI companion for equitable upskilling.
Seed | Union City, CA
GOVTECH, CONNECTIVITY & TRUSTED INFRASTRUCTURE
This cohort theme includes companies serving public-sector, institutional, and other process-intensive environments where reliability, transparency, and continuity are critical. The businesses in this category are addressing core infrastructure gaps across procurement, transportation, connectivity, and operational security, often in markets still shaped by legacy systems and slow-moving workflows. As a group, they represent solutions designed to strengthen institutional performance in areas where trust and execution are essential to adoption and long-term value creation.
ProcurityAI: AI SaaS (ProcurityIQ) modernizing source-to-award procurement with human-in-the-loop evaluation.
Pre-seed | Harker Heights, TX
Kidault: Safety-first mobility and compliance platform for special needs and child transportation.
Pre-seed | Brooklyn, NY
CleverFi: Secure, passwordless guest WiFi via automatic device onboarding and centralized access control.
Pre-seed | Houston, TX
2025 Cohort
Apiari is building the future of work for in-home care providers.
ARMR Systems is a medtech company developing wearable hemorrhage control solutions to prevent death from severe bleeding in environments where immediate medical care is not available.
AtmoSpark Technologies reduces climate control costs for industrial facilities using our moisture capture technology, which can save 50% of energy costs for the facility.
Backbone Technologies' financial management platform helps microbusinesses manage their finances all from one easy-to-use mobile app, so that they can get time back to focus on their business, save money, and achieve peace of mind.
Beal Wellness helps people get the mental health care they need, with therapy and medication support from trusted providers—powered by technology, grounded in care.
We help abstainers and mindful drinkers embrace the moment with spirit-free cocktails that rival the classics—crafted for those who seek sophistication without sacrifice.
We are replacing lead-acid and LFP (lithium) batteries with safer, wider operating temperature, faster-charging, earth-abundant patented sodium-ion batteries.
DataCom Solutions offers full end-to-end IT Asset Circularity from equipment acquisition, maintainability, to responsible end-of-life (EOL) disposal and value recovery using AI & ML driven techniques and tracking processes. We provide customers and datacenters globally with free access to our uniquely designed real-time algorithm driven asset tracking portal with full visibility into projects, maintenance schedules, management, and sustainability reporting of the full IT Asset Lifecycle process.
EatWell creates Food as Medicine meal kits to improve health and cost outcomes for food insecure diabetic patients and health insurers.
We help accounting teams improve efficiencies by providing them with an on-demand accounting assistant who helps automate data-entry and financial review tasks.
Everywhere Apparel helps brands, artists, and manufacturers solve sustainability issues by providing recycled products and solutions, resulting in a cleaner planet.
Fidari is a comprehensive cancer care platform transforming the patient journey from diagnosis through survivorship with personalized support and real-time data.
Safer, cheaper, and more powerful batteries for a resilient, decarbonized future.
IncentivesPRO is a Regulation & Financial Technology company helping small and medium-sized businesses identify, file, claim, and comply with tax incentives through a proprietary SaaS platform.
InHeirit is a digital platform that empowers customers to confidently own the estate planning process in order to protect generational wealth, secure legacy, and reduce emotional burden, in order to get back to joy.
Izote Biosciences is pioneering anaerobic fermentation technology to power the next generation of sustainable industrial biomanufacturing.
Jackalo is America’s first circular children’s clothing brand, offering eco-conscious families durable, ethically made garments designed for active kids, with a buyback program to repair, resell, or responsibly recycle every piece, reducing waste and promoting sustainability.
Journey Foods is the leading data platform for supply chain and ingredient science, powering actionable product and operational decisions for CPG companies and manufacturers.
Learn Collaborate combines AI-enhanced education, project-based collaboration, and mentorship to equip under-resourced students with critical hard and soft skills, closing workforce gaps and creating equal career opportunities for stronger communities.
Melinated Moms help women across the stages of perinatal health age to improve their reproductive health outcomes by providing an integrated healthcare assessment tool to electronic health systems, resulting in a reduction in mortality and morbidity rates that reflect improvements across their lifespan.
We help LATAM enterprises eliminate manual tasks by providing a WhatsApp-integrated AI task manager, resulting in significant time and cost savings.
Naturaz offers 100% vegan hair care products that deliver lasting moisture to textured hair, backed by 15+ clean beauty claims and we’re on a mission to provide high-performance, safe, and accessible products.
Red Rock Innovations, LLC is a technology-driven company that empowers Tribal Nations through procurement transparency, vendor accountability, and economic sovereignty via its flagship platform, the Global Vendor Network.
Re-Nuble helps growers solve the need to be environmentally friendly without increasing costs by providing effective and climate friendly inputs resulting in financially and environmentally sustainable operations.
We help businesses solve the education-to-industry gap by assisting high school students with workforce and career development, resulting in targeted talent pipelines for high-growth careers.
ShopHowell helps Black, Latino, and women-led brands build thriving online businesses on Amazon, Shopify, and beyond, through tailored strategy, smart SEO, and premium content that drives real, sustainable growth.
SOAP Health is on a mission to make primary care 24/7 accessible, universally affordable, and reliably accurate across the globe using Autonomous Primary Care Providers (APCP).
Maxxx provides student-athletes with an all-in-one mental trainer and performance coach to build focus, resilience, and sport training for athletes to reach peak performance—on and off the field.
Vasowatch is closing the gap in postpartum risk prediction to save mother's lives.
We turn solar panel and glass bottle waste into beautiful, locally-made tiles and building products—creating U.S. manufacturing jobs and keeping waste out of landfills.
2024 Cohort
A premier cold chain solutions provider, delivering "Cooling as a Service" through cutting-edge products such as the Solar Cool Cube, Solar Ice Maker, Solar Milk Chiller, Solar Post-Harvest Loss Wash Station and Packhouse, and e-mobility transportation solutions. These innovations ensure the safe and efficient handling of temperature-sensitive goods.
The World's First Pantiless Panty Liner - A Liner Alternative. This innovative product attaches to the person’s body rather than your panties. These ‘pantiless’ liners will keep women fresh and dry while giving protection and comfort all day.
As a dynamic SaaS startup, the platform revolutionizes workforce flexibility with its innovative mobile app, creating a seamless marketplace for employees to find hours and for employers to generate additional hours and revenue.
A comprehensive platform for retailers to generate revenue renting wardrobes in an environmentally conscious way.
Moneyball is the next generation of early-stage private company data. It uses AI to reduce friction between early-stage founders and investors, providing fundraising tools to founders that generate timely and accurate insights for investors. Moneyball enables both sides to make data-informed decisions, connecting with the right people at the right time, reducing risk and improving venture returns.
A medical device and software solution designed to provide advanced analysis of early-stage cancer. Using artificial intelligence models, Pons enhances ultrasound imaging by revealing visual insights that are invisible to conventional devices. This innovative approach supports earlier detection and more accurate diagnosis, offering powerful tools in the fight against cancer.
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Sunflower Fuels partners with fuel and energy companies to address the increasing shortage in U.S.-made energy resources critical to global energy production by offering leased land for carbon capturing crop production coupled with pre-negotiated lease agreements to meet the needs of energy consumers and generate new revenue for land-owners.
SaaS company enabling widespread environmental mitigation efforts using earth-observation, proprietary physics engines, and AI.
VoltX is a fast & efficient electrical vehicle charging company with comfortable park stations.
CarbonMinus empowers enterprises to achieve net zero goals by minimizing energy and resource waste, ensuring sustainability reporting, and complying with regulations.
Gratis Intelligence is revolutionizing the $49 billion consumer sampling market by enabling brands to distribute samples without brand ambassadors, using POS integrations and AI-driven automation to gather real-time consumer data.
Viable Gear has created a solution using seaweed to reduce petroleum-based plastics in the fishing, aquaculture, and agriculture industries that contribute to the ocean plastic problem. Viable Gear's SeaTwine is a seaweed-based bioplastic that is 100% natural, marine degradable, non-toxic, and an alternative to petroleum-based plastics that get into our food system.
EVerlong’s Outlet app connects EV drivers with nearby privately-hosted charging spots.
The 2026 National Unlock Capital Cohort advances CDVCA’s mission to expand equitable access to growth capital and strengthen entrepreneurship in underinvested markets, drawing on more than three decades of leadership in community development venture capital, job creation, and place-based investing.
Through Unlock Capital, CDVCA provides targeted education, mentoring, technical assistance, and individualized advisory support that help founders build investor readiness and navigate pathways to both financial and social return. This year’s program operates through two national tracks, Capital Access and Capital Readiness, designed to meet founders where they are in the capital journey while connecting teams to investor networks, institutional standards, and opportunities for revenue growth and scale.
Since launching in 2024, Unlock Capital has grown in both reach and measurable impact. Over the past two years, the program has supported 56 early-stage companies across sectors including healthcare, technology, manufacturing, food innovation, logistics, fintech, and sustainability, helping them secure a combined $17.95 million in investment and follow-on financing. These results reflect CDVCA’s broader track record as a certified Community Development Financial Institution with more than $330 million managed across funds and businesses and a long history of deploying capital that supports market-rate returns, business growth, and job creation nationwide.
Unlock Capital is made possible through support from the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency Capital Readiness Program Cooperative Agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Unlock Capital do?
Unlock Capital offers a suite of services, including education, technical assistance, and mentoring for businesses seeking high-level support to attract venture capital and equity financing. The program features industry leaders and experts who provide workshops, webinars and one-on-one mentoring. Services are offered remotely and tailored to individual business needs.
What makes Unlock Capital different from accelerators or incubators?
Rather than providing general business advice, Unlock Capital is laser-focused on helping companies identify and attract risk capital and equity financing to help high growth businesses reach their next stage.
Who is encouraged to apply?
Startups and small businesses located in communities across the United States that are traditionally overlooked by venture capital investors. Businesses with high growth potential that are owned by entrepreneurs facing social and economic disadvantages in securing investments and equity financing are especially welcomed.
Will there be a fee for the services offered through Unlock Capital or will it require giving up equity?
Unlock Capital services are provided free of charge thanks to an award from the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Capital Readiness Program. CDVCA has partnered with MBDA to promote access to capital, access to networks, and capacity building efforts for high growth businesses.
When will the services be available and how long will they last?
CDVCA’s National Unlock Capital program runs on a rolling basis. Each selected participant will receive services based on their needs. A typical engagement may last between 3 and 6 months. During this span each participating business develops a tailored investment readiness plan or memo and takes part in a series of cohort activities to address shared growth needs and challenges that are specific to each business.
Can a single person/solo founder apply?
Yes. Solo founders are welcomed to apply, however, Unlock Capital will be of greater benefit to businesses that already have a core team in place and are positioned to scale.
Does CDVCA invest in companies selected by the Unlock Capital program?
CDVCA evaluates businesses for investment potential after they’ve successfully completed the program. During the program, participants are introduced early on to venture capital funds and investors in the CDVCA network.
If we have participated or currently participate in an accelerator/incubator program, can we apply for Unlock Capital?
Yes. Because Unlock Capital is laser-focused on helping founders with their capital raising journey, our services may complement those offered by other programs. You might receive more general business development services from another program and apply to Unlock Capital for assistance in securing investments and growth financing.
Do businesses interested in applying need to be part of a specific industry?
No. Businesses from all industry sectors can apply. However, company’s will need to meet certain eligibility criteria that are related to underinvested geographies and socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
How to apply to Unlock Capital?
Look for the "Apply Now" button at the top of this page.
The Community Development Venture Capital Alliance (CDVCA) is a 30-year-old organization dedicated to driving economic development in underserved communities through venture capital and equity financing. CDVCA is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that also provides growth capital to businesses in underinvested markets, seeking market-rate financial returns and job creation.
CDVCA manages over $330 million of investments in funds and businesses. With a focus on risk capital, CDVCA works with private investors, state governments and federal agencies to promote economic and community development across the United States. We are currently active in 36 states and territories across the nation and manage a network of over 180 investors.
Meet Our Team
At Unlock Capital, we are committed to empowering entrepreneurs like you to take their businesses to new heights. Our program is designed to equip you with the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to attract investment and fuel your growth. Meet our team of dedicated professionals who will guide you on your investment journey.
Ernesto Villarini-Baquero, DBA
Managing Director
Emmanuel Loubriel Carreras,
CPA, CIMA®, Esq.
Senior Program Manager
David Greeter
Program Manager
Lucciano Diaz-Skoff
Program Manager
Maria Roberta Duarte Miranda
Program Administrator
Olivia Al
Venture Associate
Supporting Business with High Growth Potential. Learn. Collaborate. Achieve.
Complete this contact form to submit your questions or request a personal orientation.
For general inquires write to: unlockcapital@cdvca.org
Address
475 Riverside Dr.
Suite 1264
New York, NY 10115