Cincinnati Innovates,
the region's third annual online innovation competition, is heating up,
with more than 120 aspiring entrepreneurs already competing for almost
$90,000 in grant awards and a top prize of $25,000. The competition
accepts entries online until July 15, 2011, and is open to anyone in
Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.
"We are seeing some really interesting concepts and ideas this year,"
says James Zimmerman, partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister, a
sponsor of the event.
Entries include products, web and mobile applications, technologies, medical devices, tools and toys. A few examples:
• Vendi is a filling station for reusable bottles: an environmentally
friendly alternative to bottled beverages and vending machines.
• SimpleRegistry is an online gift registry for life events that
provides the flexibility of receiving cash gifts.
• Hepato-Seal is a multifunctional laparoscopic medical device for liver resection.
• WantBug is a reverse auction for cars. Car buyers place a "want"
listing for the car they want to buy, then WantBug sends the
listing to hundreds of local dealers who bid on the opportunity to
sell the car.
• ChoreMonster is a suite of mobile applications that helps parents get kids to do their chores.
• Inkdt guitar skins offers an easy and affordable way to add custom artwork to any electric, acoustic or bass guitar.
• Acceptd is a web-based tool that simplifies the video application
process for university programs and saves time and money for both
applicants and program directors.
The goal of Cincinnati Innovates is to connect entrepreneurs to all the
resources our region has to offer: incubators, angel investors,
banks, mentors and experts. Past winners have received
national media attention and have collectively raised more than $3
million in
follow-on financing.
The competition is open online at
www.cincinnatiinnovates.com. The
entry process is simple requires only a short description of the
concept. Photos, videos and other media are also accepted and
materials can be submitted confidentially to the judges.
"My company has come such a long way in the last year, and much of that
is thanks to winning Cincinnati Innovates," says Jocelyn Cates of
VenueAgent. Cates, a marketing professional, proposed a wedding
and event venue booking website that took the top prize of $25,000 last year.
Cincinnati Innovates is sponsored by CincyTech, Taft, LPK, Vision 2015,
the NKY eZone, Cincinnati Children's Hospital and 20 other regional
sponsors.
By Elizabeth Edwards
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