Sam Hollander ’21 and James LePage ’22, co-founders of ShareClub, have been selected to be part of retail technology and consumer goods venture firm and startup accelerator, XRC Labs. They will join 12 other pre-seed startups spanning healthcare, beauty, sustainability, physical goods and more. As part of the accelerator program, each startup receives one to three hundred thousand dollars in startup capital from XRC’s Accelerator Fund and participates in a three-month-long bootcamp aimed to help grow their businesses. The startups are paired with mentors from XRC’s 330+ mentorship network and are provided access to XRC’s world-class partners.
Hollander (Whitman/Newhouse) and LePage (Whitman) created their company while serving as Rubin Family Innovation Mentors and team members of the Blackstone LaunchPad at Syracuse. They most recently won grand prize in Whitman’s Orange Tank competition. Hollander was program manager for the Syracuse LaunchPad before moving to work full-time developing ShareClub.
ShareClub is a platform for public, consumer-focused companies that leverages shareholder rewards to tighten the connection between loyal customers and retail shareholders. On average a retail shareholder will direct 74% more of their wallet toward their invested brands.
“The momentum and excitement at XRC are palpable with our growth this year in both our team and record number startup investments,” says XRC Partner, Diana Melencio, who joined XRC in 2021 to lead investments and was recently named a 2022 New York Business Journal Woman of Influence. “We remain committed to our investment philosophy by investing in incredible retail tech and consumer founders, while expanding our digital health portfolio, as we see this sector as exciting and ripe for innovation.”
XRC Labs is a New York based accelerator for the next generation of disruptors in the retail and consumer goods sectors. The venture capital firm and accelerator seek out the next generation of disruptors in the retail technology, consumer goods and consumerization of healthcare sectors. With support from our world-class retailer and brand sponsors including The Estée Lauder Companies, Mastercard, The TJX Companies and GS1 US, and our distinguished university and eco-system partners, XRC Labs has become the first design-centric retail innovation ecosystem of its kind.
With two Accelerator programs each year, XRC invests has invested in more than 130 companies since its inception in 2016.