Alabama Launchpad has named 11 companies as finalists in its Cycle 2 for this year.
The competition, which was created by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, features entrepreneurs in the concept and early seed stages who will compete for a combined $75,000 at a public finale in August at The Park at Auburn University.
“By providing critical funding and support to startups at the concept and early seed stages, Launchpad is building a sustainable pipeline of innovation and job creation in Alabama, which can transform the economic landscape of the state,” said Miller Girvin, executive vice president of innovation and talent at EDPA.
The 11 finalists were chosen from a field of 32 applications.
The five companies in the concept stage who are competing for $25,000 are: CheckMySpot Inc., a telehealth app to promote early detection of skin cancer; NanoPrintek Inc., which introduces the world’s first dry nano printer; SwiftTrax LLC, a tech solutions for the trucking industry innovator; The Gathering Lab, which matches groups of people to have dinner together to encourage connections; and VivoSphere LLC, which creates more human-like tissue for drug response.
The six companies competing for $50,000 in the early seed stage are: Autonoma Inc., which creates autonomous vehicle simulation ad validation tools; BluTapp, a device enabling the remote treatment of anxiety, PTSD and trauma; CharIT LLC, a Fintech software company modernizing charitable giving; Croux, a former Launchpad concept stage winner that connects talent with flexible work opportunities; Health OpX Inc., a software created for nonprofits to improve reporting their impacts; and Nixa Inc., a sustainable energy smart home ecosystem company.
To date, Alabama Launchpad has funded 114 startups and invested more than $6.1 million in nondilutive funding. Its winning companies have a combined post-money valuation of more than $1 billion and have generated 1,300 jobs across Alabama.
