Two startups based in Cleveland and Dayton are splitting this year's top award at MAGNET's eighth annual Mspire competition.
BTech, which has developed a wound-healing technology in Cleveland, and Arma, which has developed a second-skin technology that can be used in place of latex gloves in Dayton, split the $10,000 Huntington Innovation Award from the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network's (MAGNET's) eighth annual Mspire pitch competition last week.
Other pitch contest awards and winners were:
- Engineering Awards: Disinfection Technology Solutions LLC, Aspire, Arma.
- Operations Award: Land Energy.
Since its founding in 2016, bTech has been developing its Halcyon Smart Patch, which repairs and heals damaged tissue by using light therapy to stimulate blood flow and recruit beneficial cells to wounds, according to the startup's website.
Brothers Xavior and Ilyaas Motley, founders of Arma, have developed a sprayable, second-skin technology to protect skin, fabric and other objects from external environments, according to a story in Dayton Inno, an affiliate of Cleveland Inno.
The Motleys' first set of products will focus on hand protection, breaking into the $50 billion disposable glove market and reducing waste of the more than 700 billion gloves used annually, Dayton Inno reported.
More than 70 applications — up from 40 applicants last year — were received for this year's Mspire competition. A panel of judges chose 22 semifinalists and nine finalists to pitch during the Sept. 21 event, MAGNET said in a statement.
Contestants vied for more than $75,000 in business services, such as marketing and lean operations support, in addition to the $10,000 cash prize.
This year's semifinalists were:
- Arma, Dayton: second-skin glove technology that could reduce glove waste by 80%.
- Aspire Sports, Mansfield: training belt that maximizes training efficiency for athletes.
- BTech, Cleveland: new wound-healing technology using microcirculation.
- Disinfection Technology Solutions LLC, Mentor: device that uses a more efficient solution to disinfect medical equipment to prevent transmission of infectious materials.
- Earthen Made, Cleveland: artificial limestone technology to minimize erosion.
- K&E Chemical, Cleveland: innovative material that will alleviate common issues found when using traditional titanium intramedullary rods for the treatment of orthopedic trauma injuries and replacements.
- Land Energy, Cleveland: specialty electric bikes, bridging the gap between e-bikes and e-motorcycles.
- US Positronix, Oberlin: innovative transport system for safe and cost-effective package delivery.
- Torchward, Berea: medical assistance technology on lower body compression garments to combat non-compliance.
