CONTRIBUTED BY THE CITY OF AUBURN
AUBURN —
The finale of Alabama Launchpad, a statewide funding competition for startups, will be held in Auburn on Aug. 17 at The Park at Auburn University. Eleven finalists have been selected to participate in the second cycle of the 2023 competition, vying for a combined $75,000 in funding.
Alabama Launchpad — a program of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) in partnership with Innovate Alabama — features entrepreneurs in two stages of development. Startups in both the concept stage and those in the early seed stage are eligible to compete for funding.
“We’re thrilled to provide Alabama Launchpad’s Cycle 2 2023 finalists with robust mentorship from an expert lineup of business leaders and experts,” said Miller Girvin, executive vice president of innovation & talent at EDPA. “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.”
Since its inception in 2006, Alabama Launchpad has funded 114 startups and invested over $6.1 million in funding. Its winning companies have generated more than 1,300 jobs across the state.
“Auburn University is proud to host Alabama Launchpad at The Park, the epicenter of the university’s innovative entrepreneurial efforts,” said Steven Taylor, Auburn University’s vice president of research and economic development. “We’re excited to partner with Alabama Launchpad to mentor and foster entrepreneurs, helping them reach their full potential.”
Eleven finalists were selected from a field of 32 applications and represent eight cities and towns across the state. Three Auburn companies are among the finalists — NanoPrintek, Inc., VivoSphere, LLC and Autonoma, Inc.
NanoPrintek, Inc. and VivoSphere, LLC are both affiliated with Auburn University’s New Venture Accelerator, a program that provides students, faculty and recent graduates a space to develop their entrepreneurial research, skills and techniques.
“Much of what we do at the New Venture Accelerator is designed to cultivate entrepreneurs’ business plans so they can take advantage of opportunities like Alabama Launchpad,” said New Venture Accelerator Director Lou Bifano. “We’re fortunate to have such a competition in our state and are thrilled to host it right in our backyard.”
Auburn hosted the 2016 Alabama Launchpad finale event and the first regional Alabama Launchpad competition in 2017. The regional competition returned to Auburn in 2018 and 2019. This will mark the fifth time Alabama Launchpad has come to Auburn, helping further the city of Auburn’s efforts to create a vibrant and supportive ecosystem committed to advancing and growing businesses in the community.
“By having competitions like Alabama Launchpad in Auburn, we’re giving our local entrepreneurs an opportunity to both compete and learn from those who are vying for funding,” said Andrea Mitchell, the city of Auburn’s entrepreneurial and technology programs manager. “We encourage anyone interested in entering or advancing in the entrepreneurship realm to come out to the event to see what they can expect from similar competitions.”
Tickets for the finale event are available for purchase online. For more information about Alabama Launchpad and Innovate Alabama, visit alabamalaunchpad.com and innovatealabama.org.