Launch USA | Pitch Competition Winners Announced

Nine teams made up of University of South Alabama (USA) students, faculty, staff and alumni recently competed in the Launch USA | Pitch Competition for a chance to win $10,000 in seed money from the Melton Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. The competition was the culmination of the Launch USA | Big Ideas Challenge, a program designed to foster entrepreneurial spirit by offering business education, mentorship and $10,000 in initial funding to support startups. During the August 26 pitch event, each team had 10 min. to pitch their product or idea to a three-judge panel. The judges had the discretion to distribute the prize money as they saw fit. The top prize of $7,500 went to engineering student Braxton Daw. His company, ManuLabs, offers end-to-end solutions for designing and manufacturing complex components for industries like aerospace and healthcare. The judges also awarded $2,500 to UroBacT, a diagnostic tool for urinary tract infections that is to help increase accuracy, improve patient outcomes and advance antibiotic stewardship. The team from the Whiddon College of Medicine was led by Dr. Allyson Shea and assisted by researchers Rachel Fleck and Ethan Meyers. This inaugural event was supported by a grant from the University of Alabama Honors College and the Innovate Alabama Network.