Event: Cincinnati Innovates Awards August 25th

Cincinnati Innovates Awards This Thursday

The third annual Cincinnati Innovates Awards Celebration takes place this Thursday at NKU. The competition, which awards more than $100,000 in grants to entrepreneurs each year, will honor 12 startup companies for their innovations. More than 200 local entrepreneurs and inventors entered the competition. The competition was open to anyone with an idea or an invention who has a connection to the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky MSA.

"The purpose of Cincinnati Innovates is to identify high-potential entrepreneurs and technologies and connect them with more than 50 local resources for entrepreneurs," says Elizabeth Edwards, former venture capital investor and founder of Metro Innovation, a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship. The competition was produced by Metro Innovation, with partners Taft Stettinius & Hollister law firm and public-private venture capital firm CincyTech. 

Winners of the previous two competitions have gone on to raise more than $3 million in follow-on financing and include growing companies like Gamma Dynamics, VenueAgent, and VenturePax. New winners will be announced at the awards celebration and 12 startups will have the opportunity to give two-minute elevator pitches at the event.

"This is the first time where we've had the winners actually pitch their ideas to the crowd. Some of these technologies are truly impressive, and I'm looking forward to seeing them present," says CincyTech President Bob Coy.

The event will be hosted by Northern Kentucky University's Entrepreneurship Institute on Thursday, Aug. 25 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. "The new Student Union Ballroom is a fabulous venue for an event like this.  We're looking forward to showing off the recent changes to campus," says Director John Clarkin.

"We were very impressed by the applicants this year," says Bill Scheyer of Vision 2015, one of the major award sponsors of the competition.

Tickets are available at http://cincinnatiinnovates.com/pages/events

Over $100,000 in awards will be presented, including:

CincyTech Commercialization Awards: $25,000, $25,000 and $10,000
(sponsored by CincyTech)

Taft Patent Awards: $10,000 and $5,000
(applied toward patent applications and prosecution, sponsored by Taft Stettinius & Hollister)

LPK Design & Branding Award: $10,000
(sponsored by LPK)

Round Pixel Web Development Award: $10,000
(applied toward web application, sponsored by Round Pixel Studio & Bare Knuckles Marketing)

Northern Kentucky Vision 2015 Award: $5,000
(sponsored by Vision 2015)

7/79 Video Award: $5,000
(sponsored by 7/79)

Northern Kentucky ezone Award: $2,500
(sponsored by the NKY ezone)

Cooney, Faulkner & Stevens Get Started Award: $2,500
(applied toward business accounting and advisory, sponsored by Cooney, Faulkner & Stevens)

HYPE Community Choice Award: $2,000
(sponsored by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's HYPE program)

GCVA Partner Participation Award: $1,000
(sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Venture Association)

2011 Enquirer Media Investor of the Year
The Greater Cincinnati Venture Association will honor one of its own active angel and venture investors for outstanding service to the venture community.