Surprise Double Prize at the Austin “Sharks in Space” Event
Austin, Texas (PRWEB) November 20, 2017 -- The Center for Space Commerce and Finance is excited to announce the 2017 Austin Rregional NewSpace Business Plan Competition had not one, but two winners: Multisensor Diagnostics and Pipeline2Space. The panel of judges were so impressed with the teams that they contributed additional prize money to recognize a second winner.
Competition host and judge, Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux, managing partner of Global Space Ventures, explained the judging panel’s decision: “The judges felt there were two strong frontrunners today and because it is a confluence of innovations which will allow for this space revolution to be complete, the judges have joined in and contributed additional prize money to honor two winners today. In addition to being companies that have a clear vision and plan for how they will become key players of the space revolution, the jury believes both companies are well positioned to capture vast earth-based market opportunities within a timeframe that makes them prime investable opportunities.”
Austin Dula of the Heinlein Prize Trust, Richard Garriott, private astronaut, video game developer and author, and Dylan Taylor, founder of Space for Humanity, and founding partner of Space Angels Network, rounded out the judging panel. They, and the attendees of the New Worlds Conference heard seven early stage business plan pitches from a wide range of space-scalable companies.
The Center for Space Commerce and Finance hosts several business plan competitions each year, in conjunction with space conferences around the country. Early stage businesses that have a technology or service that is useful to the commercial development of the space industry are invited to present their business idea to a panel of space investors in a “Shark Tank” style pitch competition. The Center for Space Commerce and Finance provides education, training, and networking opportunities for the competitors, helping teams perfect their business idea and connect with investors.
The 2017 Austin regional event took place on Saturday, November 11 at the Renaissance Hotel. The competition is sponsored by the Heinlein Prize Trust, who provide a cash prize of $2,500 for each regional winner. In this case, the judges contributed an additional $2,500, allowing the Heinlein Prize Trust to offer a double prize for this event.
The Heinlein Prize Trust honors the memory of renowned American author, Robert A. Heinlein. The purpose of the Heinlein Prize is to encourage and reward progress in commercial space activities that advance Robert and his wife Virginia’s dream of humanity’s future in space.
The Center for Space Commerce and Finance’s mission is to utilize personalized education and engineered financial tools for both entrepreneurs and investors, and to catalyze space commerce for industrialization, exploration, and settlement. For more information on the NewSpace Business Plan Competition and the Center for Space Commerce and Finance, please visit http://CSCF.space
Competition Winners:
Pipeline2Space (P2S) is a new smallsat space launch service provider. Test-flying now at Spaceport America and led by former Blue Origin team, Pipeline2Space eliminates the first stage of rockets with essentially an underground "gas-powered" railgun, funded and tested with Shell, using technology licensed from the University of Washington.
Multisensor Diagnostics (MDx) is a diversified health and wellness management company enabled by an innovative device and supported by proprietary software. Their rapid medical assessment device, MouthLabTM, was inspired by the Star Trek ‘tricorder’ and rapidly and noninvasively measures respiratory-rate and pattern, pulse-rate, ECG, SpO2, temperature, blood pressure, dehydration and spirometric lung functions in 30 seconds. Their AI-powered software supports seamless connectivity with providers, payers, patients and caregivers, and unifies all aspects of patient's’ health in a single place.
Additional Competitors:
Intergalactic Education
(Med)X,space
Skycom Corporation
Space Resources Extraction Technology, Inc.
Ion Biotech
Joel Vinas, Center for Space Commerce and Finance, http://www.cscf.space/, +1 (512) 829-8758, [email protected]
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