Meet 4 local companies crushing the startup game

Anyone who’s been paying attention to Birmingham over the past few years knows the city is a hub of startup activity. We’re lucky to call this place home and want to share the magic with you. Keep reading for a few startup companies to keep on your radar.

1. Herban Soul Café

Founded by Alexis Kimbrough, Herban Soul Café is a mobile café specializing in healthy herbal tea. The concept came about while Kimbrough was working at a local heath food store. To hear her experiences in this business development, Bham Now talked to Kimbrough about starting Herban Soul Café.

“It’s hard to find herbal tea in Birmingham; you might find limited herbal tea flavors at coffee shops, but we don’t have any brick and mortar herbal tea cafés. I wanted Herban Soul Café to be a place where people can try healthy tea and food options in a comforting environment.”

Alexis Kimbrough, Founder, Herban Soul Café

Last year, Herban Soul Café was named one of the recipients of the Magic City Match program, which offers grants to help grow Black-owned businesses in Birmingham.

There’s no storefront for Herban Soul Café just yet, but you can find their products online or at one of the pop-up markets Kimbrough attends.

Herban Soul Café: Website | Facebook | Instagram

2. Vital Engine

Supported by Innovation Depot, VitalEngine is a HIPAA-compliant solution to complex processes in healthcare designed to eliminate communication issues that disrupt patient care. VitalEngine has a growing network of healthcare providers, tested and approved by many Alabama-based doctors and hospitals.

Through this browser and app-based resource, patients can receive benefits such as:

• Looking up physician contact information.
• Keeping track of medical history + prescription information.
• Organizing important medical images for quick retrieval.
• Providing health information + images to providers.
• Sharing health care information with family members or caregivers.

Vital Engine: Website

3. CheckMySpot, Inc.

A finalist chosen for the Alabama Launchpad finale, CheckMySpot, Inc. is a web and app-based teledermatology screening service designed to promote the early detection of skin cancer. Through CheckMySpot, users can submit photographs of skin lesions for timely screening by experienced, board-certified dermatologists.

CheckMySpot knows that early detection is one of the most important factors in improving patient outcomes in skin cancer. This platform increases patient awareness and improves the chances for skin cancer diagnosis and cure.

CheckMySpot, Inc: Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Email

4. RideBHM

We let you in on the details of this downhill mountain biking park last year, but did you know that RideBHM was one of the 2022 winners of Alabama Launchpad?

This company is a pay-to-ride mountain biking resort developer that partners with landowners to design and build world-class mountain biking experiences. RideBHM aims to give beginners a great experience from the start. Whether you’re trying it out with a day pass or membership, you’ll get access to some of the coolest downhill trails in the state. You can see those trails here.

RIDE BHM: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Big things are happening in Bham’s startup world and we want to hear your thoughts. Let us know on Facebook + Instagram!