Tech Startup Challenge coming to Babcock Ranch
BABCOCK RANCH, FL – This November at Babcock Ranch budding entrepreneurs will be competing to see whose tech startup idea merits investment to get their product to the market.
TechXpedition will bring together 60 innovators to pitch their ideas, and then form teams to further develop the ideas the competitors themselves determine have the greatest potential. With guidance from an impressive team of volunteer mentors, and the opportunity to iterate their concepts in Babcock High School’s state-of-the-art Make Tank, the teams will create product prototypes and develop comprehensive business plans under a very tight deadline.
“Babcock Ranch’s focus on sustainability, combined with an innovation mindset, creates a ‘living laboratory’ environment for piloting exciting new technologies,” said Lucienne Pears, Vice President of Business and Economic Development for Babcock Ranch. “When we were approached with the idea of creating a tech startup challenge to foster innovation at its earliest stages, we realized this type of event was a perfect fit for our community.”
The 54-hour event is being organized and presented by MoAloo Ventures, a venture capital firm led by Babcock Resident Priya Ahluwalia.
“My husband and I have participated as mentors in numerous startup challenge weekends all over the country and have seen how effective they are in helping entrepreneurs take their startup up ideas from concept to the marketplace in a very short period of time,” Ahluwalia said. “The startup challenge weekend is really just the beginning for us. We’re already looking toward creating an incubator so that new businesses that come to life here at Babcock Ranch stay here and help grow our community.”
The TechXpedition Babcock Ranch Startup Challenge kicks off on Friday, November 4th and runs through Sunday, November 6th. After the initial 60 ideas are winnowed down, participants will form teams around the top ideas to develop and test prototypes and build business plans. The start-up challenge culminates with five-minute presentations to the judges who will award $10,000 worth of investments in pre-seed round to help launch the winning idea into a successful business.
Applications will be accepted until September 30th. There’s no charge to apply, and the competition is open to Innovators of ALL ages who have ideas for launching a new business that leverages technology to deliver products and services in new ways. Examples of businesses based on a tech idea: Discord (Social Media Tech); Tempus (Health-Tech); Stripe (Fin-Tech); AEye (Artificial Intelligence); Duolingo (Ed-Tech).
Once the application period closes the 60 applicants invited to advance to the competition will receive a link to confirm their participation and pay a registration fee of $75.00 (discount rate of $25.00 for student competitors) which will help pay for meals that will be provided throughout the weekend.
The application is available online at www.babcockranchforbusiness.com/TechXpedition
