Two startups leave Selma with $150K in seed money

Two startups left Selma with $150,000 in seed money to move their innovations forward and grow their businesses.

Selma served as the host of the finale of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama’s 13^thAlabama Launchpad Competition, which funds, advises and encourages Alabama startups through pitch competitions.

The finale was packed at Arts Revive in downtown Selma on Feb. 28.

EDPA leaders say they picked Selma this year partially because they wanted to show smaller cities and towns like Selma that innovation can happen anywhere.

The six finalists introduced their projects during a day-long presentation at Wallace Community College in front of a panel of judges from around Alabama with a variety of backgrounds.

The winners were health care-related inventions. The concept winner of $50,000 was CerFlux out of Birmingham that has developed a process that matches cancerous tumors with the treatment needed. 

The top winner of $100,000 was Ventorlux out of Phenix City that makes an air-flow system that uses UV rays to kill pathogens in the air in hospitals, physician’s offices, schools.

Co-founder Nathan Carr came up with the idea while working in maintenance at a hospital in Columbus, Ga. With partner Drew Barwick, he says they will use the funding to take the fan to market by September.

The EDPA has awarded $4.5 million to startups since 2006 through the competition using public-private funding. The competition in Selma will award $150,000. 

Selma has had a winner of Alabama Launchpad. G Momma Cookiesowner Robert Armstrong won in 2017 and used the money to expand the company. Since then, his company has become a nationwide seller based out of Selma.

Another competition is slated to take place on May 9 in Tuskegee.