These 6 startups were picked for AccelerateBaltimore’s 2017 cohort

There’s a new group of startups set to go through the AccelerateBaltimore program in 2017.

The accelerator program run by the Emerging Technology Centers picked six startups ranging from consumer-facing tech and social media to financial literacy and home care.
In the four-month program, startups get $25,000 in seed funding in the form of a convertible note from the Abell Foundation. The companies also get access to space at ETC’s Haven Campus in Highlandtown, as well as programming and mentorship.
At the end of the program, the startups pitch for a chance to win an additional $100,000. That new funding from the Abell Foundation was added last year, with mybestbox taking home the additional money in 2016.
For this year’s class, 121 startups applied for the program, said ETC Assistant Director Jacqueline Albright. Albright said many of the ideas stood out. “They were very cool, creative and there were a lot of them,” she told Technical.ly.
Here’s who was selected:

• Arbit, a social media app that lets athletes and celebrities offer photo polls to users. (Read our profile here.)
• Barttron, makers of Chord, a smart collar for pets that helps training through positive reinforcement. (Read our profile here.)
• Gunbail, an app seeking to reduce gun violence by creating a way for offenders to exchange illegal guns for bail. (Read our profile here.)
• Reciprocare, a platform to enable faster hiring of paid caregivers by home care agencies looking to serve seniors that previously won the Technoir Classic.
• Swaggle, a mobile marketplace for new and pre-owned men’s wear that curates options and facilitates haggling.
• The Wealth Factory, makers of gamified financial literacy and workforce development training that teaches users how to manage finances. (Read our past coverage.)