Coming off Somatic Labs’ 2018 AlphaLab Gear Hardware Cup Championship, six local hardware startups vied for a trip to the international finals at the Mountain Regional in Boulder on April 5.
The Hardware Cup, a pitch contest for early-stage hardware startups hosted by AlphaLab Gear, is celebrating its fifth year and touring seven American cities — including its first trip to Boulder.
“This is our very first time in Boulder, we’re excited to be here and see what the hardware tech scene has going on,” said the competition coordinator, Leah Simoncelli.
Each city’s winner (D.C., Atlanta, Boston, San Jose, Pittsburgh, Boulder and Chicago) will get $3,000 in cash and other prizes — and that includes an opportunity to win a $50,000 convertible-debt investment from Startbot VC at the International Finals in May. Five other finalists from across the globe will join them.
Last year’s grand prize winner was Denver-based Somatic Labs, a Techstars grad that’s working to develop “a future without screens.”
Check out last night's participants:
In an effort to better monitor oxygen levels of specific blood vessels, Noninvasix has developed a non-invasive oxygen monitor that is higher performing than a pulse oximeter.
The company, which has raised over $3 million in grants and equity, is working through FDA approval with hopes of being acquired by a major medical company.
Noninvasix won the AlphaLab Gear Hardware Cup Mountain Regional and will advance to the international finals in Pittsburgh in May.
Boulder-based DROVR is looking to change the way farmers fence in their livestock with a solar electric fence energizer that can be controlled from your phone.
With DROVR, users can detect shorts in the electric fence, turn on and off power and monitor voltage. The cofounders said the system allows users to control livestock at their fingertips, saving time and acting as an alarm system.
DROVR is also making it easier for farmers to implement rotational grazing, the practice of moving livestock between segmented land.
Rather than using gears and motors, Artimus Robotics has created robotic parts that operate similar to human muscles.
The linear actuator technology simulates human muscle movement, offering a lighter and more flexible alternative to typical robotic parts, while matching performance.
Artimus Robotics plans to use the technology to be a component supplier, already landing a pilot project with the U.S. Navy.
ANNA
A cannabis vending machine is coming soon to Colorado.
ANNA is a cannabis compliant vending machine that allows customers to purchase products without dealing with a dispensary employee.
In two months, ANNA will roll out in dispensaries in Boulder and Boston, including a flagship location on Pearl and 9th Streets in Boulder.
Denver-based startup The Last Gameboard has created a board game console that combines traditional board games with an interactive touchscreen board.
The 10 by 18-inch device combines internal antennas and radio identification technology to bring your favorite board games to life.
The company will launch a Kickstarter in August with hopes of bringing a product to market in the fall of 2020.
With a simple plug-in device, Copper Labs is allowing customers and providers to wirelessly monitor energy consumption in real time.
Copper connects wirelessly to residential electric, gas and water meters so utilities can achieve the benefits of smart grid.
Residents can monitor energy consumption are alerted to any potential anomalies that could lead to a spike in their bill.
