5 cool civic startups on display at the 2015 Congress of Cities

Tumml

Tumml is a startup for startups: It’s an accelerator that helps fund new companies that want to improve interactions between citizens and governments.

“We were wondering why there weren’t more entrepreneurs out there solving problems,” said Clara Brenner, a co-founder of the firm. “We try to think about the problems that have been identified by municipalities and invest in startups that address those.”

So far, Tumml has helped raise money for 33 companies that have gone on to raise more than $35 million in venture capital funds. Hitch, a ridesharing company that was acquired by Lyft, is among their former accelerates.

“We think entrepreneurs have a role in changing these cities,” Brenner said. “Tumml helps them get there.”

Contact the reporter who wrote this story at Jake.Williams@StateScoop.com, or follow him on Twitter at @JakeWilliamsDC