BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – [September 23, 2026] – The Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator powered by gener8tor today announced the five startups selected for its Fall 2026 cohort. Each company receives a $100,000 investment and joins an intensive 12-week program with one-on-one coaching, mentorship, and access to a national network of investors, corporate partners, and industry experts.

This cohort's founders are building in markets that have long been underserved: families waiting on housing vouchers, neighborhoods without grocery stores, safety-net clinics without negotiating power, first-time entrepreneurs without support, and patients whose needs traditional brands have overlooked.

"[Draft quote for your review] These five founders see problems up close that most of the market overlooks, and they're building real businesses to solve them," said Sierra Pena, Managing Director of the Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator powered by gener8tor. "Each company has found a structural gap, whether that's in housing compliance, benefits-enabled retail, or value-based care, and turned it into a real advantage. We're proud to back them and look forward to what they build over the next 12 weeks." Meet the Fall 2026 Cohort Keyway Homes – Founder & CEO: Gabriel Leavell Keyway cuts Section 8 voucher-to-lease timelines from 75 days to 14. Its compliance operating system for landlords packages documentation requirements, tracks housing authority readiness, and manages landlord-authority communication. Eighty percent of Keyway's customers are landlords converting market-rate units to subsidized housing, which creates new affordable supply without new capital. www.keyway.homes

Nourish & Bloom Technologies – Founder & CEO: Jilea Hemmings Nourish & Bloom runs autonomous retail kiosks that bring healthy food to food deserts. Its payment platform is the only one of its kind that accepts EBT and SNAP benefits. The company's customers include Grady Hospital, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the City of Atlanta, and large enterprise campuses. www.nourishandbloom.com

Bootup Studios – Founder & CEO: Chandler Malone Bootup Studios is an operating system for aspiring entrepreneurs that turns raw business ideas into executable playbooks within hours. Three AI agent teams automate lead generation, business operations, and funding discovery, so founders can focus on execution instead of busywork. Bootup integrates with QuickBooks, Stripe, Gmail, Airtable, and a growing set of business tools. www.bootupstudios.io Collective Impact Health – Founder & CEO: Terry Booker

Collective Impact Health brings independent physicians and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) together into value-based contracts with major insurers. FQHCs serve some of the most complex, highest-cost patients but lack the scale to negotiate these arrangements alone. Collective Impact connects safety-net providers with insurers including Independence Blue Cross, Highmark, and Devoted Health. www.collectiveimpacthealth.com monthly – Founder & CEO: Aiko Pickering monthly designs high-performance period underwear for people with the hardest-to-manage periods, including those with endometriosis, PCOS, pelvic floor dysfunction, or gender dysphoria. Its products use sustainable materials, a non-bulky design, and a gender-inclusive fit, at roughly half the price of leading competitors. That pricing makes quality period care accessible to Gen Z. shopmonthly.co Program Details Over 12 weeks, the cohort will work closely with the gener8tor team and a network of mentors, investors, and corporate partners.

About the Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator Powered by gener8tor The Bronze Valley Investment Accelerator powered by gener8tor invests $100,000 in five high-growth startups each year and supports them through a 12-week accelerator program based in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more at https://www.gener8tor.com/bronze-valley-accelerator.

About Bronze Valley Bronze Valley’s mission is to empower under-resourced entrepreneurs by providing holistic venture capital solutions that catalyze innovation and impact.

About gener8tor Gener8tor is a nationwide startup accelerator network whose mission is to be the best partner for a community to invest in its best and brightest. We believe communities succeed best when they invest in their best and brightest via our mentorship-driven, cohort-based accelerator programs.