Three Atlanta startups are making strides to grow their exporting efforts after winning grants from the Metro Atlanta Chamber's Export Pitch Day Challenge.
On Thursday night, about two hundred guests, entrepreneurs and past grant winners gathered in the Trick 3D studios in West Midtown to watch five finalists pitch for grant prizes of $5,000, $10,000 and $20,000. The grants, designed to help the applicants supply new exporting efforts, were provided by JPMorgan Chase.
Compass Technology Group, Vital4, Skillshot Media, LivFul and Delta Sigma Company were finalists selected from a group of entrepreneurs who were awarded a $5,000 grant earlier in the year to head their exporting efforts. The finalists were chosen for a chance to win more money to continue their expansion in global commerce.
David Balos, head of Chase Middle Market Banking in Georgia, said exports make up 8% of the local economy in metro Atlanta. Supporting the Export challenge is a part of JPMorgan's initiative to support cities and their export growth.
"It's something that I think really speaks to what we're trying to do as an organization," he said.
Skillshot Media, an Alpharetta-based turn-key esports production company, won third place and a $5,000 prize.
"The biggest entertainment industry is not actually film, it's not music, it's gaming and esports," Todd Harris, founder of Skillshot Media, said on the stage.
Vital4, a Marietta-based cloud software company that offers a globally accessible due diligence data search, received the second grand prize for $10,000. Gracie Ortiz from Vital4 told the audience about 75% of the company's revenue comes from international products.
"[With the new grant] we'll be able to expand our footprint and exposure," she said.
The grand prize of $20,000 went to woman-owned engineering startup Compass Technology Group. The company specializes in materials, electromagnetics, antenna design, digital signal processing and innovative sensor technologies. Founder Becky Shultz told the audience her technology is primarily used for helping material and plastic manufacturers design products that work with radar safety systems in cars, such as anti-collision and adaptive cruise control.
LivFul, an Alpharetta-based startup that's designed a DEET-free, plant-based topical bug repellent, and Delta Sigma Company, a Kennesaw-based aircraft manufacturer that uses AR to help technicians build products in the aerospace, automotive and shipbuilding industries, did not receive additional grant money.
The Atlanta Metro Export Challenge is a grant program that supports metro Atlanta companies from all industry sectors in growing their global business. Over the last three years, nearly 100 metro Atlanta companies have received over half a million dollars in grant funding through the Atlanta Metro Export Challenge and were able to grow their business in markets all over the world.
Applications for the 2020 Atlanta Metro Export Challenge are now open.
