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Influencer and Edify Online Corp. take home $150,000 at Alabama Launchpad Startup Competition
Influencer and Edify Online Corp. won a total of $150k last night at the Alabama Launchpad Startup Competition. Talk about rollin’ in the dough. Read what you missed out on here!
Represent.
We continue to help companies start, stay & grow in #Alabama. Cheers to @AlaLaunchpad winners Edify Online ($50K) & @INFLCR ($100K)! 🎊 pic.twitter.com/LsYfZYp5s8
— EDPA (@EDPAlabama) November 16, 2017
Round of applause to Influencer and Edify Online Corp for giving incredible pitches and winning the big bucks last night. Birmingham’s never been prouder.
What was this again?
In case you forgot, last night was Alabama Launchpad’s Startup Competition finale at good ole Iron City.
And let me tell you, it was worth the $10 ticket price.
There were plenty of refreshments, live music, and even a panel on entrepreneurship.
Then the real show started. Six finalists each had 5 minutes to pitch their business to judges for the chance to win big investments
Excited to see the finals of @AlaLaunchpad. This intro panel is on-point! 👌#SmallBiz #Entrepreneur #EDPA pic.twitter.com/do6dTfdifM
— Nathan B. Copeland (@NathanBCopeland) November 15, 2017
The finalists competed in one of two categories: as a concept stage for entrepreneurs launching businesses or as a seed stage startup accelerating growth.
The seed stage startup winner was:
- Influencer (INFLCR): Birmingham, AL
This Bham startup gives innovative college athletic programs critical social media tools to empower their student-athletes to be brand ambassadors online.
Last night Jim Cavale won $100,000. What did he have to say about the experience?
“The competition forced you to ask yourself about the challenges of starting a business in an objective manner, not about how you feel that day. Can I really build a business that can combat those challenges and be successful?
I got through with the pitch and felt even more confident about my business.”
What’s he going to do with that big check?
“Because of this money we can go another 6 months without raising funds and that will allow us to raise more money later at a higher valuation which will let us create more jobs and ramp up sales.”
The other seed stage startup finalists included Urban Cookhouse owner’s Farm Bow & Juice Co., and Sycamore Physician Contracting. They all had incredible pitches, but sadly only one from each category could win.
The concept stage startup winner was:
- Edify Online Corporation: Birmingham, AL
Edify Online Corp. helps the exchange of independent teaching talents from universities and communities that work together to achieve important milestones for higher education students.
Last night Edify Online Corp took home $50,000. What are they going to do with all that dough?
“Building out strategic development. MIT and Harvard are waiting for us to roll out our next versions, as early as next week. We’re very focused on building a technology platform.”
What’s the biggest takeaway for the winners?
“First that people like our idea which is very gratifying. It’s one thing to have a great idea, the second thing is having a team and a plan, making sure it’s not just a good idea but a good company.”
The other great concept stage startup finalists were Axle Advertisements and Cycle Rate Performance. Read more about them here.
In case you wanted to know more about Alabama Launchpad…
Alabama Launchpad serves as the state’s largest seed fund for startups. They help keep growing businesses in Alabama and support entrepreneurs across the state.
The Launchpad project is the brainchild of EDPA (the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama) which helps Alabama’s economic growth.
Check out how they are helping our great state and city move forward here!
What did you think of last night’s competition? Let us know!
