Eleven companies will be facing off for a combined $75,000 in the latest cycle of the long-running Alabama Launchpad business pitch competition.
A program of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), Alabama Launchpad has funded 108 startups, with winning companies boasting a post-money valuation of more than $850 million.
The companies chosen will face off in a public finale in Huntsville Aug. 30.
Alabama Launchpad has finalists in two stages of its competition: Concept, with a $25,000 prize, for companies that are pre-revenue, and early seed, with a $50,000 prize, for firms looking to accelerate their growth.
Finalists also work with launch advisors, who offer personalized feedback and scores to each company applying, then work in-depth with all finalists on various aspects of their businesses.
The concept stage finalists are:
• Tuska Brew Solutions Inc., which captures carbon dioxide from fermentation and other processes in breweries and similar industries that is normally released to the atmosphere. Instead, the company purifies it and recycles it back to the client. It also sells excess CO2 to other customers.
• Ride Resorts, a multi-site mountain bike resort concept with world class trails and a base village.
• Etch helps learners to unlock their innate intelligence by integrating their education with its smart learning retention platform.
• Nia Benefit Corp. is the first full-service digital burn clinic in the United States that enables patients to get high-quality burn care, at an affordable price.
• Smartstall allows hands-free entry and exit to a public bathroom stall, completing the hands-free restroom experience.
• Storyline is centralized, digital counseling homework. It is a platform helping therapists provide a space for their clients to continue “doing the work” of their mental health between sessions.
The companies in the early seed stage, who will be competing for $50,000, are:
• Checkle, based in Huntsville, providing restaurateurs one place to organize menus, reviews and happy hours, which syncs their info to all platforms like Google, Facebook, Yelp and TripAdvisor.
• BUZD, based in Birmingham, is a delivery app for alcohol, CBD and party supplies. BUZD has partnered with local bars and dispensaries to offer delivery within the hour to most areas in Jefferson County. Its app includes a driver app and admin panel for reporting/point of sale functionality.
• TaxxWiz, based in Birmingham, gives tax professionals the ability to be their own Turbo Tax Live. TaxxWiz is changing the average prep time from 60 minutes a return to eight minutes.
• City Detect Inc., based in Northport, uses cameras and artificial intelligence to automatically detect blight and property degradation.
• BluTapp, based in Birmingham, is a digital health company that enables evidence-based PTSD treatment online. With BluTapp patented technology that was originally designed for the military population, symptoms of PTSD are addressed in a way that allows traumatic memories to be rapidly processed by the patient.
Miller Girvin, executive vice president of innovation and entrepreneurship at EDPA, said the finalists “hold great promise with their innovative ideas, and the Launch Advisors are eager to work with this cohort of companies over the summer and beyond.”
