An eight minute pitch just landed lip-reading startup LiRA a $10,000 prize.
LiRA took home first place at the 9th Annual Big Launch Challenge Pitch Competition, held Thursday at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
LiRA, a UNC technology startup cofounded by head and neck surgeon Andrew Prince, has a lofty goal of giving the voiceless a voice. Inspired by Prince’s experience of trying to communicate with patients unable to speak in the hospital, the firm got its start in 2019 during an entrepreneurship class. Prince and his co-founders, Nga Nguyen, Alison Schaefer, Andres Tello and Dina Yamaleyeva, have been collecting voice samples through a website, crafting an artificial intelligence tool that could allow voiceless patients to be part of their medical conversations.
The latest prize is one of many helping LiRA push toward that goal. The firm’s other pitch successes include a first place finish at the Covintus Tech Tank pitch competition (a prize of $25,000) and a second place finish at the Tulane Business Model Competition (a prize of $30,000).
As for the Big Launch Challenge, second place – a $5,000 cash award – went to Flux Hybrids, an automotive electrification startup out of North Carolina State University targeting the commercial fleet vehicle market.
Altogether, the Big Launch Challenge received 64 applications for the pitch competition. The top 10 made it to the stage and were given eight minutes to present their business plans to the judges.
Here’s a look at the other eight finalists:
- SpartanTek - Public Safety Tech Revolution - High-Speed Pursuit Deterrent & Intervention.
- CityGuyd - Uses Augmented Reality to provide travelers with a digital personal guide.
- ArchiveCore - Uses blockchain technology to simplify healthcare credentialing.
- Green Stream Technologies - Environmental IoT: Real-time Flood Monitoring.
- Kalia Health - Committed to improving access to reproductive health.
- CliniSpan Health - Software platform diversifying clinical trials.
- MyMatR - Manufactures automatic sorting waste containers.
- MRGN - Intelligent budgeting for SMBs.
The Launch Place at NC Biotech provides startups with business support services, as well as pre-seed and seed investments. It’s geared toward technology startups in North Carolina and Virginia.