These 4 local startups were selected for the AWS Impact Accelerator for Women

Today, a group of women founders in the DMV were officially recognized by none other than Amazon Web Services.

Four local and regional companies were named among the 25 in the AWS Impact Accelerator for Women Founders, an eight-week program for companies led by women entrepreneurs (not too shabby for local representation, if you ask us). Standd, a DC-based startup, created a SaaS platform to help lawyers better manage their documents by allowing users to see information like who created a document, the strategy behind the text and more. One of 25 cohort members, the startup will receive up to $225,000 in funding and AWS credits, training, mentoring and networking with AWS and investors.

Nessle, a Richmond, Virginia startup that provides a directory for parenting; Cleare, a compliance software company for daycare facilities; and DC’s Matchplicity, an AI-based job matching company, were also selected for the program.

“Being selected for this opportunity is incredible validation of Standd’s team, product and vision,” Standd CEO and cofounder Julie Saltman told Technical.ly. “This program is a game-changing opportunity that comes at an ideal moment to accelerate our business and product development efforts.”

Standd leadership hopes that the AWS program will help with its go-to-market strategy and business development, especially regarding aligment of its core values and mission. The company also plans to grow its platform while participating in the accelerator and launch its software on the AWS platform.

“Working with AWS will allow us to enhance our product and scale our efforts to create a seamless, secure experience for our customers,” Saltman added. “We are excited to learn about scalability and leadership from the fantastic mentors in the AWS network and the other founders in the cohort.”

The AWS Impact Accelerator for Women is part of a larger entity called the AWS Impact Accelerator, a three-year, $30 million program for pre-seed startups. In that program, startups with founders from underrepresented groups (with separate cohorts for Black, women, Latinx and LGBTQ+ founders) receive $125,000 in cash and $100,000 in AWS credits.

“Women are the driving force behind a thriving economy and AWS looks forward to supporting these impressive finalists in furthering their missions,” said Howard Wright, VP of startups at AWS, in a statement. “Over the course of eight weeks, they will be developing their ventures alongside AWS technology experts, investors and partners, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish.”