2018 Edward K. Aldag, Jr. Business Plan Competition


The 2018 Edward K. Aldag, Jr. Business Plan Competition has come to a close. Read more about it here.

As always, this event would not have been possible without all of our wonderful judges, facilitators, and sponsors. Thank you for volunteering your time and energy to help make this event a success.

If you missed it, take a listen to Mr. Edward K. Aldag, Jr. as he shares his opening remarks at the 2018 competition.

 

2018 Winners


Grand Prize Winners

 Student Grand Prize Winner ($50,000) – High Five Studios

Team members: Alex Haisting, Joshua Mokwa, Robert Petit

High Five Studios is a small independent game studio working on creating and selling quality games at a lower price-point than AAA studios. Their next game will address the issue that there are currently no good games in Augmented Reality, which they believe to be the future of gaming.

You can learn more about their company and their new game, Prisoner, on their website.


Community Grand Prize Winner ($50,000) – Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network

Team member: Justin Volman

Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network is bridging the gap between the ratio of scouts to players in the baseball world. They provide baseball teams with an expansive scouting network for recruitment, data collection, etc. at the collegiate level. The Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network offers access to our nationwide network of 125 scouts that collect qualitative and quantitative statistics, videos, and velocities nationwide to MLB Teams, Collegiate Summer Leagues, Player Rep Agencies, Independent Leagues, and Collegiate Teams.

You can learn more about their company on their website.


1st-3rd Prize Winners         

1st Prize ($5,000) – Locality

Team members: Alex Tidwell, Bryant Mathis, Lily Prater

Locality is a social media company that seeks to connect people face-to-face, not screen-to-screen. Locality is an app that focuses on the “now, instead of the past.” Based on user input social data, Locality aims to combine groups you are socially active in with activities and events happening around you, to show a user who is where and what they are doing. The founders hope it will bring real-time connection face-to-face and create a more connected community.


2nd Prize ($3,000) – Trips4Trade

Team member: Slade Johnston

Trips4Trade is a website service that allows users to swap trips and experiences they have for trips they want to go on. The model is similar to Airbnb but is based on trading versus selling. Their trip options include hunting, fishing, camping, beach condos, skiing, and even box seats to sports games. For example, a person could swap tickets they have to an Alabama football game for a weekend at the beach at another user’s condo.

You can check them out at Trips4Trade.com.

 

3rd Prize ($2,000) – AccuSuture

Team members: Erik Hanson, Trey Robbins

AccuSuture is providing easy-to-use suture kits on which users can practice, providing an experience very close to human skin for a better simulation. These suture kids are much more realistic than the ones they use now, making the simulation closer to the real experience and ultimately better preparing doctors for the real thing.


Community Affairs Prize Winners

This year, thanks to an additional grant by The University of Alabama Division of Community Affairs Board of Advisors, a second set of 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes will be awarded ($5,000, $3,000 and $2,000). To be eligible for the additional set of prize money, participants had to attend at least 3 events leading up to the competition. These were workshops held at the EDGE and Startup Weekend, all which helped student entrepreneurs make their business ideas and subsequent presentations even more effective.

1st Prize ($5,000) – The Artemis Company

Team member: Lauren Gwin

The Artemis Company, started by UA student Lauren Gwin, helps women everywhere with stylish, self-defense jewelry. As an advocate for female survivors of violent crime, Gwin saw the need for females on the UA campus to have effective self-defense tools necessary to protect themselves and ensure safety in any situation. The Artemis Company, LLC strives to find the best way to equip women with the tools and resources they might need in an emergency situation that would be easily and reliably accessible and yet still be a desirable feature to their everyday wardrobe. The idea to eliminate the choice between function over fashion is how The Artemis Company, LLC was born.

You can check out their website here.


2nd Prize ($3,000) – Woof

Team member: Knox Auerbach

Knox Auerbach, creator of Woof, has created a mobile platform to match potential pet owners to their future forever friend, the right way. Since Millennials typically seek out a dog before they become interested in a family, Woof hopes to help them find the dog they are looking for.

 

3rd Prize ($2,000) – HighFive Studios

Team members: Alex Haisting, Joshua Mokwa, Robert Petit

High Five Studios is a small independent game studio working on creating and selling quality games at a lower price-point than AAA studios. Their next game will address the issue that there are currently no good games in Augmented Reality, which they believe to be the future of gaming. The team received three awards at the event, including grand prize winner and people’s choice.

You can learn more about their company and their new game, Prisoner, on their website.

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