The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation has announced the finalists for its third annual Startup Texas Pitch Summit, scheduled to take place June 16.
This year’s summit will be the first to be held live. The event was held virtually the two previous years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Startup Texas seed fund/accelerator program is part of BCIC’s effort to cultivate an “open and inclusive ecosystem of entrepreneurship in Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley,” according to the organization.
During the pitch summit, the finalists will make presentation on their business ventures before a live audience and a panel of judges made up of corporate and industry leaders and investment professionals. The judges will choose a winner, who will receive $25,000 in seed funding. BCIC said it received nearly 30 applications for the pitch summit.
The five Brownsville-based finalists include: Aetherworks LLC, which employs direct air capture (DAC) technology (extracting carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere) to reduce the total CO2 emissions on Earth and serve mid-size to large indoor farming operations; Embedded, which has created a fitted bed sheet with wireless radio-frequency-identification technology for comfortable, non-invasive monitoring of elderly patients.
The three other Brownsville finalists are iAG Technologies, developers of efficient systems that allow for high crop yields and quality output for sustainable micro-farming; TXQ Rubs, makers of seasonings and rubs representing the flavors and traditions of each unique region of Texas; and Valley Tire Recycling, a firm that converts worn out tires into reusable raw materials for industries and manufacturers while creating sustainable products through collection, remediation and recycling services.
Also among the finalists is SilverWarp, a New Jersey-based firm that describes itself as “disrupters of the Moto-E Racing world, creating an all-electric, race-ready motorcycle”; Eido Innova, based in Chihuahua, Mexico, which has developed a glucose measurement device for diabetic patients using patented technology; iBed by APYCO, Mexico City-based creators of new therapeutic systems for elderly patients; and WITBA, also from Mexico City, developers of sustainable, zero-CO2-emission steam cleaning technology for oil wells.
Cori Peña, BCIC’s incoming president and CEO, said the region has a number of talented entrepreneurs as well as international ventures looking to enter the U.S. market through the “soft landing” designation within BCIC’s eBridge business incubator in Brownsville.
“We’ve received 28 applications (for the pitch summit) and they were all great ideas,” she said. “Our judges are going to be very challenged in narrowing it down to one finalist, and that’s what makes all of this so exciting.”
Nathan Burkhart, director of business development for BCIC, said it’s exciting to finally be able to showcase live “the entrepreneurs and businesses that make our community unique,” and that the pitch summit competition provides access to capital for the winning venture while validating the Valley’s investment potential.
“The best way to create local jobs is to invest in scalable ventures with the potential for commercialization right here in our own backyard,” he said.
The Startup Texas Pitch Summit will be held June 16 at the Texas Southmost College SET B Lecture Hall. The event kicks off with a 5 p.m. networking happy hour and opportunity to meet the finalists. The actual pitch competition begins at 6:30 p.m. sharp.
