Where the companies have landed.
Every outlet below covered a company I co-founded, from Forbes and TechCrunch to FOX, ABC and CBS. None of it was luck. Getting a product into Forbes, onto the TechCrunch stage, or in front of a pitch-competition jury is a distribution problem, and distribution is the thing I build.
On stage.
Bindr won the first-ever 2SLGBTQIA+ Entrepreneur Prize at Startupfest in Montréal and was selected as a Startup Battlefield 200 company by TechCrunch. ColdStart went back to Startupfest and took first place, then won the Plug and Play Innovation Challenge and presented on stage in Europe. Two companies, four rooms, one pattern.
All coverage.
16 mentions across news, podcasts and industry press, newest first.
Forbes · 2026 · BindrBindr named a top LGBTQ+ dating app
Forbes’ guide to the best LGBTQ+ dating sites selects Bindr as its pick for bisexual people.
Plug and Play · 2026 · ColdStartColdStart wins the Plug and Play Innovation Challenge
Selected as challenge winner and invited to present ColdStart on stage at a global industry leader’s Innovation Day in Europe.
Startupfest · 2026 · Bindr & ColdStartSpeaker profile: Brandon Teller
Background on ColdStart, Bindr and Brandon’s work building technology companies, from the Startupfest speaker directory.
BetaKit · August 2025 · Bindr & ColdStartQueer tech founders explore move to Canada
On Bindr’s Startupfest prize, the investor relationship it opened, and where ColdStart is headed next.
Technical.ly · March 2025 · Bindr & ColdStartTheir dating app struggled to get new users, so they started an AI marketing company, too
How the cold-start problem at Bindr became ColdStart, and how the second company took first place at Startupfest.
The Business Gay · January 2025 · ColdStartColdStart: Your New Explosive Marketing Strategy
A podcast conversation with Brandon about ColdStart and the distribution problem every product has.
TechCrunch · BindrBindr: Startup Battlefield 200 company
Bindr was selected for TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200 and pitched on the Disrupt stage in San Francisco.
Global Dating Insights · BindrBindr selected for Startup Battlefield 200
Industry coverage of Bindr’s selection for TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200.
Philadelphia Gay News · August 2024 · BindrBindr: CEO of LGBTQ+ dating app speaks on inclusive goals
A profile of Bindr’s mission, growth and the community it was built for.
QBurgh · 2024 · BindrBindr wins the largest LGBTQ+ pitch competition at Startupfest
Bindr took home the first-ever 2SLGBTQIA+ Entrepreneur Prize, a $60,000 award sponsored by QueerTech, at Startupfest in Montréal.
The Business Gay · BindrBindr: Your New Dating App
A podcast episode on Bindr, the first fluid dating app.
Calan Breckon · BindrBindr: The New Bisexual Dating App
A podcast conversation about building a dating app without labels.
FOX · BindrNew LGBTQIA+ inclusive dating app Bindr
Local news coverage of Bindr’s launch and the students behind it.
Central Penn Business Journal · BindrGood-bi Tinder: Central Pa. students’ inclusive online dating option sees massive first year
Business press coverage of Bindr’s first year and the founders behind it.
Onward State · April 2023 · BindrPenn State York student creates all-inclusive dating app
Penn State’s student news on the launch of Bindr.
Penn State · August 2023 · BindrStudent entrepreneur creates all-inclusive dating app
Penn State York on Mary Richardson and Brandon Teller’s work building Bindr, and the LaunchBox support behind it.
From the operator’s perspective.
Topics close to my work: the growth hacks between the headlines, getting a company noticed, building inclusive consumer products, connecting product development with distribution, and how search and AI change discovery.
Short bio
Brandon Teller is the co-founder and CEO of ColdStart and the co-founder and CTO of Bindr. A founder, builder and investor, he works at the intersection of product engineering and distribution. His companies have been featured by Forbes, selected for TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200, won prizes at Startupfest in Montréal and the Plug and Play Innovation Challenge, and covered by Technical.ly, BetaKit and others.
Connect for speaking and interview conversations