General Graphene, an Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based company, won the grand prize of $20,000 at the 2015 Charlotte Venture Challenge.
The company is developing industrial scale graphene manufacturing capabilities using production methods licensed from the University of Texas and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Each machine will produce 60,000 sheets (square meter) of graphene (a form of carbon described as having “extraordinary” properties) per year.
Surgilum, based in Wilmington, N.C., and Quorum of Washington, D.C., were runners up; each received $7,500. An innovative design and development company specializing in ophthalmic medical products, Surgilum has developed a Robomarker product that is a self-leveling corneal marker with pre-inked disposable tips and an integrated fixation light system. Quorum is an online legislative strategy platform that provides unique quantitative insights into U.S. Congress.
EcoH2O, a company founded by 2014 UNC Charlotte graduates based on a senior engineering design project, won the $7,500 Hauser Award for the top Charlotte-based startup. The enterprise is developing SAROS, a wave-driven, self-contained, seawater desalination system to provide clean water to coastal regions in need.
Teams competing in the student ventures category earned awards that totaled $5,500.The winner was CommuniGift (UNC Chapel Hill), and the runners-up were Waterless Buddy’s LLC (UNC Chapel Hill) and LoboStim (N.C. State).
The J. Chris Murphy Award to the best UNC Charlotte startup went to Bryson Allen of SmartBrush, a health monitoring toothbrush. Allen is a Business Honors Program freshman in the Belk College of Business. Read more about Allen.
Thirty early-stage innovation based companies from throughout the Southeast pitched to investors and corporate innovation executives at the 14th annual Charlotte Venture Challenge on March 31. The competition for nearly $50,000 of cash prizes took place at the Southeast Venture Conference, which attracted more than 700 investors, entrepreneurs, and other attendees to Charlotte.
The two-day event began with the 30 Charlotte Venture Challenge startup companies making five-minute business pitches followed by question-and-answer sessions with investors and corporate judging panels. The judges selected the final six teams, which were interviewed by a second judging panel and presented to the Southeast Venture Conference audience.
The Charlotte Venture Challenge has become the premiere start-up competition in the Southeast; it is organized by UNC Charlotte’s Charlotte Research Institute and Ventureprise, a nonprofit organization sponsored by the University.