On March 26th, startup businesses competed in the Green Light Business Model Competition. While 98 companies submitted business models, only 25 were chosen to compete, demonstrating that startup activity is alive and kickin’ both in Michigan and in Lansing, specifically.
Every business that competed in the Greenlight Competition provided interesting solutions to compelling problems. In this five part series, you’ll get a quick overview of the companies, what they have to offer, and find out who took home the grand prize of $25,000.
The first five companies that presented had the technology market cornered…
AirFuel
Founder: Jeffrey Hall
A freshman at MSU, Jeffrey Hall presented a wind powered generator with a sleek design.
Targeted towards cyclists, the generator mounts right onto a bike’s handlebars, providing uninterrupted air flow to power the cyclist’s electronic devices. The product will sell for $75-100 – a steal compared to its competitor’s steep $2500 price tag.
AIRS
Founder: Valerie Obenchain
AIRS is an advanced interactive response system that monitors for patient issues and reports back to the source.
Most of the oxygen systems on the market have major flaws with no real solutions available, this system addresses those problems. With very little effort from the system, issues with a patient’s airflow can be communicated back to their caregiver, or nursing home or hospital staff.
Buildcentric
Co-Founder: Jason Rogensee
Website: Buildcentric.net
Follow their progress on Twitter: @Buildcentric
Buildcentric has technology for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can remove the human element and reduce manpower.
Their technology allows the UAV to land on a charging platform and refresh the battery, a task that previously needed to be performed manually. Making these machines even more automated will allow them do more and advance many different areas including; crop monitoring, military use and more.
DataShark
Founder: Ian Charles
DataShark is an unmanned underwater vehicle (AUV) that can collect data for military and civilian uses.
This AUV combines the power and capability of a powered AUV, with the affordability and manageable size of a glider. DataShark will benefit many industries including: under water mapping, military security, and gas companies.
DragAroundMe
Website: dragaround.me
Follow their progress on Twitter: @DragAroundMe @DragAroundMe
Founders: Natalia Kumar-Juan Chen-Bradlee Johnson-Kun Wang
DragAroundMe is a file sharing cloud service that offers an easy way to share data with those around you.
Unlike current systems that need to be installed, signed up for, or move slowly, DragAroundMe is fast, simple and can be used on any device. Simply drop a file into the cloud; the program detects your location and then allows you to share files with those closest to you.
