A bootcamp for startups in the Internet of Things space will give several young companies a unique opportunity to accelerate development of their concept and business this fall. InNEVator 2017, hosted through The Innevation Center University of Nevada, Reno-Powered By Switch, will be an intensive and active six-week program.

Funded by sponsors and investors, InNEVator 2017 will provide funding to those selected to participate. And, the bootcamp will encourage interaction between these young IoT companies and the sponsoring organizations.

"We want to infuse our community with creative talent," Jim Sacherman, director of The Innevation Center, said. "InNEVator 2017 will bring more ideas and more technology to the area, and will integrate the individuals behind these young companies with the community, the bootcamp sponsors, investors and the University.

"The overall goal is to create more viable, fundable startups, as we also spur creativity, ideation and economic opportunity in our community."

The anticipated six to eight participating startups will work directly with experts to accelerate development of prototyping, creative thinking, commercialization, seed-funding, planning and operations, customer engagement and other aspects of business. Mentorship will be emphasized, with participating mentors who are successful, industry veterans.

Breadware and WaterShed Growth Ventures have joined The Innevation Center University of Nevada, Reno as hosts of InNEVator 2017 which begins Oct. 2.

Breadware is a unique hardware and software service that helps entrepreneurs and businesses seeking to develop products in the IoT space. Based in The Innevation Center, Breadware moved its headquarters and operations to Reno in March 2017.

"Making hardware and software work well together is a challenging undertaking, especially in the world of IoT," Danny deLaveaga, COO of Breadware, said. "Our Breadware toolset provides a powerful and accessible solution to IoT development, reducing the time and money burdens of the development process."

WaterShed Growth Ventures is a specialized investor and consultancy organization focused on effectively managing, funding and building early-stage companies in northern Nevada. It was co-founded by Sacherman, who continues as a managing member, along with Dan Eckert and Scott Levy.

The Innevation Center is at the heart of the Reno area's emerging high-energy entrepreneurial scene. It offers a collaborative environment for the entire northern Nevada community where University students, faculty members and researchers engage with entrepreneurs, investors, commercialization experts and community leaders. Named the 2017 Best Entrepreneurial Hub by the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, The Innevation Center provides access to co-working and meeting spaces, a well-equipped makerspace, mentorship, capital, interns and an array of University resources, and is home to Nevada Industry Excellence, the statewide Manufacturing Extension Partnership. A membership model is available for non-University individuals and businesses.