Rome Sentinel: Pair of startups earn $25,000 in Rome Lab challenge
Published:
Monday, October 19, 2015 - 12:50
I wanted to share with you the following article that was published by the Rome Sentinel:
Rome Sentinel: Pair of startups earn $25,000 in Rome Lab challenge
Published Oct 18, 2015 at 9:00am
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PRIZE WINNERS — Stacey Smith, form left, co-founder of Lilo, stands with Steve Messa and Joel Robinson, co-founders of VidFall, after winning the Demo Day audience and judges’ votes, respectively. The two startups each won $25,000 for their plans to transform Air Force Research Lab technologies into commercial goods or services. (Photo submitted)[/caption]
A water bottle with the discharge valve at the bottom is one of the two $25,000 winners at a competition featuring five startup businesses.
The contest was the finale for the 2015 Commercialization Academy that featured entrepreneurs taking Air Force Research Laboratory technologies and applying them to the commercial marketplace. Five teams took the stage at the Griffiss Institute to pitch audience members and a panel of judges that their startup company and Rome Lab technology-based products and services were most deserving of the money.
Stacey Smith of Westmoreland is a co-founder of Lilo Hydration. She and her colleagues at Lilo have been licensed to use the Air Force patent for a bicyclists’ water bottle with a bottom drinking valve and make a version for the civilian market. It basically works with no head tilt when taking a swig of water. The contents of the bottle are gravity dispensed so as to eliminate repeated squeezing of bottle to discharge contents.
Her product may be first inverted reusable water bottle ever. It allows people to rethink how they drink from water bottles.
“I’m from here, and I really wanted to be able to stay here, and make this into a success for this area,” said Smith after winning the audience vote and $25,000 at Demo Day. “So to win, definitely reassures me that it’s going to happen.”
The SUNY Polytechnic Institute alumna added, “I can’t even tell you how excited I am right now!”
