Final 5 start-ups chosen for SPARK East's elevator pitch competition

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

Scott Olson doesn't know what to expect when the elevator pitches fly at Ann Arbor SPARK's elevator pitch competition in Ypsilanti next week, but the judge of the competition does anticipate the recently chosen five finalists will deliver some surprises.

Whether the pitches are well-rehearsed or works-in-progress, ultimately he is looking for a compelling story, comprehensive thinking and poise in delivery.

"I expect the range will be pretty wide," says Olson, who is the vice president and general manager for MedArray. "There will be those who have practiced for a while and those who haven't. But I am always surprised. When you put someone in front of a crowd you don't know how they'll react."

An elevator pitch is a short, persuasive speech an entrepreneur gives about their company or product to an investor in the same amount of time as an elevator ride(a few minutes). The idea is to quickly convince potential investors or customers to take interest.

The pitch competition, held at the SPARK East Incubator in downtown Ypsilanti, will showcase five innovation-based entrepreneurs giving their best argument for their start-ups on the afternoon of June 4. The winner will receive a free year at the Ann Arbor SPARK East Incubator in downtown Ypsilanti and up to $50,000 in business-accelerator services. That includes everything from mentoring to legal services to a membership in the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce.

The five finalist include:

Eco-Fueling will present its proven solution to co-fuel diesel engines with renewable ethanol. Their technology is targeted at the 6 million diesel trucks, none of which currently use a renewable fuel on the road today.
Aeradigm will present its in-rack air conditioner for data centers. Over 10,000 U.S. data centers are in danger of generating more heat than can be dissipated; Aeradigm will cool servers efficiently and reduce overall energy load by harvesting waste heat for power.
Mobile Sign Language Systems will present its smart phone software that translates spoken English into a video of sign language in real time. The software is designed to help deaf people, who often struggle to communicate with their counterparts in the hearing world, most of whom do not know sign language.
Urobiologics will present its UroGender Test Kit. Economic and social conditions are compelling married couples to have a small family, preferably of two children, one of each gender. UGT will help couples to plan and have gender specific conception the natural way.
Own will present its combined Web and hardware Point of Sale (POS) system for coffeehouses. Own replaces cash registers or Software POS systems at the point of transaction.

Source: Ann Arbor SPARK and Scott Olson, who is the vice president and general manager for MedArray
Writer: Jon Zemke

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Ann Arbor Spark
201 S. Division, Suite 430
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 Website

Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is the driving force in establishing the Ann Arbor region as a destination for business expansion, retention, and location by identifying and meeting the needs of business at every stage, from startups to ...