In August, MBJ reported that applications had opened for “The Next Big Thing,” the pitch competition that gives Memphis-based startups and scale-ups the chance to compete for a $10,000 prize.
Applications were set to close in September; and six finalists were expected to be selected for the event, which is a joint venture between the Society of Entrepreneurs (SOE) and Epicenter.
Now, those finalists have been revealed. But because there were “too many great candidates,” said Pearson Crutcher, executive director of the SOE, eight businesses were selected, and not six.
These are the finalists for “The Next Big Thing” in 2022:
- Backbone Technologies — A financial management and education platform for microbusinesses, which enables microbusiness owners to manage their business banking, payments, accounting, taxes, payroll, and cash flow in one application, from their smartphone or tablet
- Diiclae — An organization that looks to connect creators and collectors to value, monetization, and audience, automating appreciation of a portfolio, validating provenance using NFTs, and creating a personal NFT mobile app
- Kaye's Pints and Scoops — A small batch creamery located in Memphis, which offers premium handcrafted ice cream in a variety of flavors
- NeuroDyne — A startup with an ambulatory seizure monitoring system that can be worn outside of a hospital setting
- Proven PCI — An organization with an all-in-one cybersecurity tool for small- to medium-sized businesses, which allows them to easily meet the requirements of the payment card industry data security standards
- Smart Charge — A solution to on-the-go charging of handheld mobile devices
- UpSquad — A startup that looks to connect organizations by building their communities online, so their members can connect, communicate, and collaborate
- Youdle — A startup with a platform that looks to help shoppers quickly find products they need in stores, while providing a boon for brick-and-mortar businesses
Tickets have sold out for this year’s event, which will be held in the Methodist Presentation Theatre at the University of Memphis’ FedEx Institute of Technology on Nov. 10, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Each competitor will make a three-minute pitch, and then face a lighting round of questions from the competition's judges, which can last up to five minutes. Participants and attendees will then go to a cocktail reception, while representatives from the accounting firm The Marston Group tally votes.
After this, a winner will be announced. Last year, victory went to John Wilcox and his startup, Diatech Diabetes, which is developing a software platform that could ensure people with diabetes everywhere obtain proper amounts of insulin. Before this, Lia Winter and her medical device business, Winter Innovations, took the top honor. And in year one, Phillip Ashley Rix and his company, Phillip Ashley Chocolates, scored the $10,000 prize.
