ITEN WIRED, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), Space Florida, and TechFarms Capital are pleased to announce the finalists of the ITEN WIRED Innovation Awards. The startup pitch competition is to be held on October 19, 2023, in conjunction with the ITEN WIRED Summit. The competition will feature pre-seed and seed-stage companies in Northwest Florida.
“We are excited to announce the finalists for the ITEN Innovation Awards and are confident they will showcase some of the most innovative and promising startups in Northwest Florida,” said Frank DiBello, president and CEO, of Space Florida.
The finalists are:
• Chaos Audio – Digital marketplace for guitar effects enabled by a multi-effects pedal
• CogAbility – AI-powered digital employees that can be used in a variety of industries, including government, healthcare, and education
• Daily Adventure Box Inc. – App-enabled, automated rental lockers for kayaks, paddle and surf boards, ski bikes & more
• FuelTrust – Maritime technology platform to authenticate relationships across the marine fuel lifecycle, digitally verify data from shared sources, validate decarbonization and compliance, and identify potential bunker fraud and risk
• GreenlightGO – Film and TV production spaces and services on demand
• National Energy USA – Recycling-as-a-Service business leveraging AI and machine learning robotics to reduce the burden of solid waste removal
• Rainey’s Closet/Rainey’s Marketplace – Peer-to-Peer marketplace enabling rental, retail, and reselling all in one place
• The Knoo- App to streamline the entertainment business through booking and logistics Automation
“We are pleased with the caliber of applications we received, and it’s encouraging to see the number of potential high-growth tech ventures being built in the region,” said Danielle Mousseau, Manager of Economic Development, 35 Mules – an innovation hub within FPL.
“This is a great opportunity for the finalists to present their businesses to the attendees of the Summit and pitch to a panel of experienced investors and technologists.”
The eight finalists will pitch their businesses to a panel of independent judges, and three winners will receive $50,000 for first place, $25,000 for second place, and $25,000 for third place. The three awards are non-dilutive, which means that the winning companies do not have to give up equity for the awards received. The award dollars are supported by FPL and Space Florida.
The ITEN WIRED Summit is a two-day event that will bring together entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders from across the region. The summit will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities.
The pitch competition is open to ITEN WIRED Summit attendees and will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2023, at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front. For more information and to register for the Summit, please visit https://itenwired.com.
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About Florida Power & Light Company’s 35 Mules innovation hub: 35 Mules is the first inhouse innovation hub backed by a global energy leader, NextEra Energy. Sitting under Florida Power & Light Company, it provides early-stage startups in its program with cross-industry subject-matter expertise, entrepreneurial coaching and programming, world-class facilities and access to Fortune 500 corporate and technology leaders. Additionally, 35 Mules provides support to Florida’s startup ecosystem through organizations and events like ITEN WIRED.
About Space Florida: Space Florida is where leading aerospace companies get everything they need to see their new ideas take off. As that state’s aerospace finance and development authority,
Space Florida brings a mix of unrivaled experience, unmatched financial tools, and unbeatable location to the table by providing critical business financing opportunities for the aerospace industry, managing infrastructure investment in the state’s spaceport system, and facilitating research and development, workforce, education, and investment programs.
Visit www.spaceflorida.gov for more information.
About ITEN WIRED: ITEN (Innovation Technology Entrepreneur Network) WIRED Summit is the Southeast’s premier cyber security and IT conference to connect, collaborate and build community with industry leaders, entrepreneurs and educators on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship topics. https://itenwired.com/
About TechFarms Capital: TechFarms Capital invests in early-stage tech startups in the Southeast United States. Based in Northwest Florida, Fund I was established to professionalize access to seed-stage capital required by an increasing number of tech startups. https://www.techfarmscapital.com/
