Six LouisvilleKY startups Win 2016’s Vogt Awards

 

(Louisville, KY) – Six local startups are the 2016 Vogt Awards recipients. Each winner will receive $25,000 in non-dilutive funding and an additional package of valuable services and mentoring for early-stage entrepreneurs.

 

The winning companies are:

  • Breath Diagnostics, which is developing a patented technology that detects lung cancer by analyzing a patient’s breath for four cancer specific markers. The test is easily administered, readily deployable, has no associated risks, and has the potential to save millions of lives while saving the healthcare industry billions of dollars.
  • Collabra Innovations, which is developing an online platform used by music students, instructors, and professionals to educate and collaborate at middle schools, high-schools, colleges, faith-based organizations, private teaching studios, and more.
  • Curio Learning, which is creating an app that allows teachers and administrators to discover professional development strategies and content, curate them in a personalized way, and collaborate with teachers around the U.S. for better outcomes inside and outside of the classroom.
  • G3 Tri-Sports, which manufactures and distributes products that assist triathletes with their training and provides therapy to aid athletes recovering from injury.
  • MailHaven, which is solving the problem of missed deliveries with a package tracking app and a smart mailbox to receive packages for online shoppers.
  • RMC Solutions, which is developing a patented automated washout system, using high pressure water to prevent concrete buildup in mixer truck drums and central mixers used in the Ready Mix Concrete industry.

 

community foundation of louisville

“This is a strong group of founders,” said Amelia Gandara, Director of Commercialization and Engagement for EnterpriseCorp, the entrepreneurial arm of Greater Louisville Inc.  “We are looking forward to working with all six teams. Great business ideas can happen anywhere and these local entrepreneurs are key contributors to advancing our startup community and growing the local economy. EnterpriseCorp is very pleased to be a part of this exciting program.”

 

The Vogt Awards help startup founders develop product ideas into viable and successful businesses by providing non-dilutive funding, dedicated mentorship and focused workshops.

This year, the Vogt Awards advisory committee criteria welcomed entrepreneurs creating innovative, technology-based products in the Greater Louisville region. Twenty-seven companies applied for this year’s awards.

 

“I can’t help but wonder how pleased Mr. Heuser would be to see the innovation that his award has helped to catalyze since its inception in 2000.  With more than $2.9 million awarded to 61 companies to date, I like to think of his gift as a way for him to be immortal in our entrepreneurial community,” said Susan Barry, President & CEO, Community Foundation of Louisville.

 

Henry Vogt Heuser had a strong vision for growing innovation in Greater Louisville. Heuser pioneered the creation of multiple inventions during his career. The Vogt Invention and Innovation Fund, an endowment at the Community Foundation of Louisville, was created to help support entrepreneurial efforts of engineers and innovators to fund the product development and commercialization of their ideas.

 

“The Vogt Awards is a great example of how we encourage bold and creative thinking and action in our business community,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “I congratulate these six companies for their commitment to innovation, and I look forward to seeing what’s next for each of them.”

 

The Vogt Awards’ mentoring programming will occur throughout the fall.  Vogt Demo Day will be held in November and each winner will have the opportunity to showcase their business to the community and share the progress they are making thanks to the funding, collaboration, mentorship, and support services.

 

For more information, visit http://www.vogtawards.com/.

 

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About The Vogt Awards & Henry Heuser

Henry Vogt Heuser, who died in 1999, was an exemplary corporate citizen and a gifted inventor and entrepreneur. He was a native of Louisville who spent his entire career working for Henry Vogt Machine Company, including 28 years as its president. Whenever Henry had an idea about how to make something better, quicker, or easier, all he had to do was walk out to the shop floor to assess its viability and commercial potential. The endowment he created at the Community Foundation of Louisville to establish this award will allow engineers and entrepreneurs to access the same kinds of resources. The Vogt Award is intended not only to memorialize Henry’s legacy, but also to inspire more inventors to pursue their goals right here in Louisville.

 

About Community Foundation of Louisville

Founded in 1984, the Community Foundation of Louisville is the largest charitable foundation in Kentucky with $448 million in assets and more than 1,377 charitable funds.  Each fund has its own name and charitable purpose as defined by its donors.  In 2015, these funds made over 10,500 grants totaling $49 million, approximately 90% of which stayed in Kentucky to support area nonprofits. As a leader in philanthropy, the Foundation connects donors, nonprofits and civic partners to create lasting impact in community. To learn how you can be a part of this force for good, visit www.cflouisville.org.

About EnterpriseCorp
EnterpriseCorp is the entrepreneurial arm of Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) – the region’s leading economic development organization and the Louisville Regional Office for the Kentucky Innovation Network (KIN). GLI’s EnterpriseCorp is dedicated to building a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem and culture for early stage and fast growth companies. For more information, visit EnterpriseCorp.com.

About Greater Louisville Inc.

Greater Louisville Inc. – the Metro Chamber of Commerce is where regional business leaders come together to accelerate business competitiveness, economic growth and job creation in the Greater Louisville region.  The region’s largest business leadership organization, GLI leads economic and global outreach strategies focused on business attraction; nurtures the entrepreneurial eco-system and fast growth companies; and champions the development of the community’s talent base.  As the voice of the business community, GLI advocates for a pro-business environment and facilitates business leadership engagement on issues that impact regional competitiveness.  For more information, visit www.GreaterLouisville.com.