TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- SCOUT, developer of orbital products and services to enable a new era of space safety and transparency, was awarded the 2021 Startup of the Year during the 9th Annual Startup of the Year Summit that took place from January 25 - 27, 2022 in Tampa, FL. The three-day event was produced by Established in partnership with Embarc Collective and presented by title sponsor ReliaQuest.
2021 Startup of the Year Winner
Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, SCOUT's in-space products and services, first launched in June 2021, allow spacecraft to see and understand things around them. The computer vision and guidance software packages allow a new era of complex autonomy for spacecraft.
"I had a great experience at the Startup of the Year Summit in Tampa…it exceeded my expectations. I experienced amazing networking with impressive founders and investors alike, that alone was worth the trip. When you add on the excellent programming, speakers, and the fact that we won, I couldn't be happier." Eric Ingram, CEO & Founder, SCOUT Inc.
The winner was selected by a powerhouse panel of judges:
- Derrick Brooks, EVP Corporate and Community Development at Vinik Sports Group and Pro Football Hall of Famer
- Erica Duignan Minnihan, Founder and Managing Partner at Reign Ventures
- Anna Mason, Managing Partner at Rise of the Rest Seed Fund at Revolution
- Jesse Middleton, General Partner at Flybridge & Founder of The Community Fund
- Lesa Mitchell, General Manager at Techstars
As the winner of the Startup of the Year competition, SCOUT will receive prizes from Carta, CDW, Cherry Bekaert LLP, Hutchison PLLC, HubSpot for Startups, Hyde Park PR, Pilea, Republic, and StickerGiant.
SCOUT will also be considered for up to $50,000 in potential investment from Established Ventures. Established Ventures may also invest in other startups from the top companies this year.
SCOUT was one of five finalists selected for the live pitch competition out of the many semifinalist startup companies from 21 states and Puerto Rico, who converged in Tampa for the event. Other finalists included:
- Heroshe – Houston, Texas
- Home Lending Pal – Orlando, Florida
- Relavo – Baltimore, Maryland
- Target Arm – Ridgefield, Connecticut
Startup of the Year Breakout Award Winner
The Breakout Award was a new award created this year for a company that quickly outgrew the competition's requirements, and it went to Genesis Systems. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Genesis Systems is an industrial technology research and design company with technology that generates water directly from the air at industrial scales. Genesis Systems WaterCube (TM) is the most efficient mass freshwater generation system on earth and the only tech that can carbon (CO2) capture while making water.
Startup of the Year People's Choice Award Winner
Winners of the People's Choice Award, presented by ReliaQuest, were selected by internet voting. The overall People's Choice Award winner was Cope Notes. Founded in Tampa, Florida, Cope Notes uses daily text messages that combine peer support, positive psychology, and digital journaling to improve mental and emotional health.
In addition, there were several People's Choice Industry Category Winners:
- Genesis Systems – Tampa, Florida: Category - AgTech, ClimateTech, Sustainability, SpaceTech, Robotics, Aerospace, Manufacturing
- Mynd VR – Dallas, Texas: Category - IoT, Cyber Security, Data/Cloud, AR/VR, AI/ML
- Trustate – Tampa, Florida: Category - FinTech, InsurTech, Legal Tech
- Cope Notes – Tampa, Florida: Category - Health Tech, BioTech, Lifestyle & Wellness
- Hallo – San Juan, Puerto Rico: Category - Social Impact, Culture, HR/Productivity, Real-estate, Marketplaces, Ed Tech
The 9th Annual Startup of the Year Summit was attended by:
- Speakers: Jeff Vinik, Chairman & Governor, Tampa Bay Lightning; City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor; Jenn Lim, Co-Founder & CEO, Delivering Happiness and Author of Beyond Happiness; Brian Murphy, CEO, ReliaQuest; Blake Hall, Founder & CEO, ID.me; and, more!
- Sponsors: ReliaQuest; Pendo; Strategic Property Partners; Water Street Tampa; UBS; University of South Florida; The Florida High Tech Corridor; Cherry Bekaert LLP; Drift; Enterprise Florida; Florida Funders; Hillsborough County Florida EDi2; Hill Ward Henderson; Holmes + Brakel; Hutchison PLLC; The University of Tampa, Lowth Entrepreneurship Center, Sykes College of Business; Metro Development Group/Metro Places; Omni Public; 43North; Accenture; Ballard Partners; Head Shot Booker; Lila Photo; Peter Hurley Photography; SpotMyPhotos; Visit Tampa Bay; Catapult Lakeland; Synapse; St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation; Tampa Bay Tech; TampaBay.Ventures; Tampa Bay Wave; Carta; CDW; HubSpot for Startups; Hyde Park PR; Pilea; Republic; and StickerGiant
Watch Summit Speakers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OukSovS-r30&t=26s
Watch Startup of the Year Finals Competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg5dqzD_GxY&t=10704s
To learn more about the Startup of the Year Summit, including the Top Semifinalists, all-star judges, mentors, speakers, and advisors - visit https://summit.startupofyear.com
About Startup of the Year®
Powered by Established, the Startup of the Year program is a global competition, world-wide community, and resource to elevate startup founders. Since 2006, the Established team has discovered and supported the most promising and innovative startups from around the world via this annual competition, its Investment Community, Daily Dealflow™ newsletter, Startup of the Year Podcast, Activation Events, and more. For more about the Startup of the Year program, visit http://www.startupofyear.com.
About Established®
Established is a consultancy focused on helping organizations with their innovation, startup and communication strategies. Created by the talent responsible for building the Tech.Co brand (acquired in 2018), Established leverages decades of experience to help collaborators build their brand, engage audiences and accomplish their goals. For more about Established, visit http://www.established.us.
About Embarc Collective
Embarc Collective is Florida's fastest growing startup hub helping founders build bold, scalable, thriving companies. Embarc Collective works with a growing roster of over 100 early-stage startups at its 32,000 square-foot facility in downtown Tampa. Member companies receive customized, ongoing coaching and support from startup veterans to help propel their growth. For more information, please visit http://www.embarccollective.com.
Media Contact
Jessica Boone, Established, 2252769289, [email protected]
SOURCE Established
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