Several graduates from the nonprofit accelerator Tampa Bay Wave will present at Austin's South by Southwest conference in Texas.
Two companies, Bakstage and No Limbits, were selected to showcase their work at a competition, while other companies will speak onstage.
The two selected finalists will exhibit their projects at the SXSW Innovation Awards, which recognizes the "most exciting creative developments in the connected world," according to its website. Judges will determine the showcase winners at the conference on March 11.
Bakstage, a sales platform based in New York, was among the five chosen for the "interface design" category of the SXSW Innovation Awards. The category recognizes innovation in human interaction with software.
"This recognition at SXSW, a global gathering of visionaries and innovators, is a testament to Bakstage.AI's commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and creativity," Shashank Singh, CEO and co-founder of Bakstage, wrote in a LinkedIn post.
Bakstage's platform makes personalized customer engagement materials through audio and video materials. The company attended the 90-day TechDiversity accelerator program in spring 2023.
The TechDiversity accelerator program selects entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups.
The other Tampa Bay Wave graduate in the SXSW showcase is Iowa-based No Limbits. The company was among five chosen in the "community empowerment" category, which "spotlights projects that empower underserved groups."
No Limbits makes specialized apparel for people with disabilities. Its founder, Erica Cole, participated in the 2022 TechDiversity Accelerator. That same year, the company pitched on "Shark Tank" and landed an investment deal from Mark Cuban.
Tampa Bay Wave alumni Hook Security, a security awareness training company, will speak on a panel. Another graduate, The Gamehers, will speak at the "Diversity in gaming, what to do to get it right" session and will host an event.
Several other alumni startups will attend to network or exhibit. They are the following: FitBux, HyperGlade, NUTS Technologies, Cyvatar, Saturation, Cydeploy, Tempest Droneworx, TaxTaker, Lazo and The MON App.
One company from Florida, DermaSensor in Miami, was selected to participate in the showcase. However, no Tampa-based companies will present.
