Area startup wins spot in highly competitive business accelerator

TAMPA — The Natural Nipple, a Tampa firm that created a line of bottles to help nursing mothers overcome latching problems while breastfeeding their babies, is one of just five companies to win a spot in The Brandery, a Cincinnati-based business accelerator that invests in high-growth startups.

According to a press release, The Natural Nipple — founded by Lauren Wright and Tram Pham — will relocate to Cincinnati for 12 weeks to participate in the program. While in Ohio, representatives from the five companies will meet with more than 100 mentors and supporters. The program culminates with a Demo Day Dec. 18 that will see them make pitches to investors and other entrepreneurs.

“We had 697 applicants apply for the Batch 10 cohort,” states Jeff Boeh, managing director of The Brandery, in the release. “The Brandery team traveled to 25 cities, hosted 275 in-person office hours and 152 virtual office hours, resulting in a highly competitive group of finalists. Ultimately, we selected five companies with very different backgrounds focused on big opportunities within the CPG, marketing and advertising space. We are excited to get to work with the cohort and help them continue to grow over the next 12 weeks.” 

The Natural Nipple has been awarded more than $220,000 in grants, the release states, and most recently won the Clinical QuickFire Challenge hosted by Johnson & Johnson.