symporterInc., an AI-powered software that helps automate idea research and pre-market forecasting, has moved its headquarters to northwest Arkansas. Through Fuel Accelerator’s 2021 AI/ML cohort, Simporter is exposed to the region’s vibrant tech community and chooses to stay connected.
“Fuel is a great opportunity to engage with mentors with diverse experiences,” said Simporter founder Tim Hall. “You learn from leaders in the tech community, the Walmart/Tyson/JB Hunt ecosystem, and capital partners. The learning path is well organized for tech startups. The department is made up of Fuel, but just as important are the people you run into,” he added.
“We’ve done accelerators in Silicon Valley, Montreal, and Europe. The fuel was so good that we decided to move our headquarters to northwest Arkansas.”
Originally headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Simporter was co-founded in 2018 by father-son duo Tim Hall and Dillon Hall in hopes of revolutionizing the concept of product development. Simporter incorporates the latest advances in machine learning to survey the market and identify product characteristics that are becoming increasingly important among consumers. This insight is used by our clients to create concept products aligned with these growing trends.
Simporter’s software tools can forecast sales based on promotional scenarios combined with price and distribution adjustments. To calculate sales forecasts, the tool analyzes billions of data points across consumer searches, sales, social media and reviews with an average accuracy of 85%.
Fuel Accelerator aims to empower innovators in the AI and machine learning industry. This is one of 13 startup accelerator programs promoted by the Startup Junkie Foundation. Fuel provides seed-stage and growth-stage startups with “enterprise-ready” tools, the ability to “talk to buyers, successfully test their betas, and navigate target customer bureaucracy to make sales.” provide.
Fuel has a successful track record of creating employment opportunities in Arkansas. Since its inception, the program has led to the creation of 61 jobs for him in the region. Each year, at least one company moved its headquarters to NWA after the program. Companies that have stayed in the region continue to attract investment, expand their teams, and create roles that combine sales and computer science roles in the region.
Fuel is sponsored by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, The Walton Family Foundation, and RevUnit, along with the Startup Junkie Foundation, in an effort to inspire action and innovation for the future of technology in Northwest Arkansas. Accelerator does not require capital or payments, he only needs a 3-year update of growth metrics as a measure of the program’s success.
Participating companies must have some initial capital or revenue to qualify and must have a team member in Northwest Arkansas during the 12-week program. Fuel Accelerator is committed to benchmarking growth throughout the program and is looking for companies with her B2B solutions that are open to working with her mentors and other entrepreneurs.
To learn more about Fuel Accelerator or to apply for Fuel Accelerator’s 2023 AI/ML program, please visit: fuel accelerator.com.
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