To early-stage startups all over the world, placing the phrase “backed by Y Combinator” in website footers and email signatures can be a door opener.
Chicago has sent its fair share of startups to the prestigious accelerator program. This year’s spring cohort included food startup Tovala, social services nonprofit mRelief and TRAC, the maker of a timing device for runners. As it turns out, the summer cohort also includes some Chicago notables. Here’s who they are and what they do.
The high sticker price of airline tickets puts international destinations out of reach for many would-be-travelers. Airfordable wants to make international traveling possible for a wider range of people by letting them buy airline tickets at earlybird prices and paying for them in installments as the travel date draws nearer. To Airfordable, the mission to make travel more accessible is personal. According to an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Co-founder and CEO Ama Marfo, who is originally from Ghana, came up with the idea when she wanted to travel home to see family while studying in the United States and couldn’t afford the tickets.
With media powerhouses like The New York Times struggling to make ends meet, making traditional journalism profitable again is one of the industry’s biggest challenges. The Athletic, a Chicago media startup, has brought on a full-time staff of sportswriters to cover the city’s five biggest teams closely. The company operates on a monthly subscription model, with four in five subscribers viewing every single article published, according to TechCrunch. The company is currently planning to expand to other large sports cities.
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