Startups from across the country and as far as England will be in Chattanooga this summer, innovating on big data, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and more.
Products that the 14 teams are building speak to a question at the heart of GigTank, the event that's bringing them to Gig City: If you had a Gig what would you do with it?
"We went back to the roots: What are applications that leverage Gigabit speed or would need it to scale?" said Mike Bradshaw, executive director Co.Lab, which runs GigTank.
Mike Bradshaw, CoLab co-director, talks about the Gig Tank.Indeed, when GigTank launched in 2012, all of the nation didn't have the Gig-speed Internet that Chattanooga's EPB had. That has changed with the impending rollout of Google Fiber and Comcast's announcement it plans to bring Internet speeds of 2 gigabits per second to U.S. cities, including Chattanooga.
"That significantly de-risks startup ventures in the space," Bradshaw said.
GigTank leaders selected the teams after a very targeted search. Scouting included conversations with accelerators, investors, corporate partners, local stakeholders and angel networks, said Alex Lavidge, director of GigTank 2015. Lavidge also made a trip to the country's Northeast and two to California to recruit companies.
"There was a very conscious effort that the teams we brought in were in line with what all the involved parties were interested in," Lavidge said. Many of GigTank's teams are developing products that complement each other, he said.
Some of the companies this year are well beyond initial funding, which has not been the case in past GigTanks. For example, Engajer already has raised $1 million, Lavidge said. "They want to take it to the next level. We're not focused on the typical seed-stage capital this year."
Also different this year, GigTank has partnered with big corporations and organizations including Alcatel-Lucent, EPB, HomeServe USA, Kenco, Mozilla, Verizon Wireless, UPS Connect and US Ignite. Partners have agreed to make their market access and industry expertise available to the startups.
Only one Chattanooga startup made the cut this year: Adagio. Founder Jonathan Susman won Co.Lab's 48 Hour Launch last year with a pitch for his startup, which describes itself as a mobile application that brings a sound-recording studio to any device using Web technologies and the cloud.
Bentley Cook, co-founder of health care technology startup Sensevery, talks about the company's wireless monitoring system at last year's event.Also, Branch Technology plans to relocate from Huntsville, Ala., to Chattanooga, Bradshaw said.
The GigTank-UTC Fellowship Team also is participating this year.
GigTank has launched several notable startups, among them GridCure and Feetz.
GridCure advanced to 500 Startups, a seed-fund and accelerator program based in Silicon Valley.
Feetz recently secured $1.25 million from Khosla Ventures and was a finalist in the South by Southwest SXSW accelerator competition in Austin, Texas, in March.
This year's program started May 4 and lasts through Aug. 14. Participants get free housing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, May 25 to July 31.
Contact staff writer Mitra Malek at mmalek@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6406. Follow her on Twitter @MitraMalek.
14 startups in CoLab's GigTank business accelerator program
Adagio -- Chattanooga Adagio is developing an online platform for multi-channel audio applications, bringing new possibilities for web-based collaboration and rich media experiences. Initial applications include a web-based collaborative multi-track recording studio and an interactive music education tool. BDI Labs -- Huntsville, Ala. Believe, Design, Innovate Laboratories (BDI Labs) is an electronics engineering company focused on the Internet of Things. The company's leading product, the MediaBit, is an HDMI device that tracks TV usage to generate statistics on consumers' viewing habits. Those measures include content reports, as well as viewing duration, time stamps and more. bluField -- Nashville bluField is an interconnected system of Bluetooth beacon networks that creates a high-resolution grid of a real-world geographic area. With its ability to "connect the constellation of beacons," bluField delivers active content to Bluetooth-enabled devices based on users' location and behavior. CanSoft Communications -- Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada CanSoft Communications is a network solutions provider focused on developing gigabit Wi-Fi networks and custom OpenDaylight SDN applications. The company will test deployment in Chattanooga in collaboration with corporate partners at GigTanK. Engajer -- Menlo Park, Calif. Engajer is an interactive video platform that accelerates sales, customer support and training by enabling users to quickly connect with the content they choose. Deep analytics track each viewer's interaction, compiling prioritized leads for effective campaign management while integrating with standard marketing automation. Evolvr -- Knoxville Evolvr develops interactive virtual reality content to enable real estate groups and their clients to immerse themselves in potential properties. Stereoscopic 3-D images and video are captured and composed into customized virtual reality experiences. GSIA (VortexT) -- Oak Ridge Global Security Information Analysts is the maker of VortexT, a mobile app that delivers relevant health care information to providers on a daily basis. Using award-winning big data analytics technology, VortexT accesses the vast amounts of health care information being continuously generated worldwide, discovers information of specific interest to individual medical professionals, and presents it to them on their phones. Paradrop -- Madison, Wis. Paradrop is a software platform that brings the cloud closer to home. The company is pioneering technology for smarter routers in the home and office, focusing on the latest groundbreaking trends that are evolving the Internet today. Perfomatix Innovations -- Atlanta Perfomatix Innovations is a global IT solutions provider and the creator of MFORCE, a complete mobile workforce management and service request platform. MFORCE helps organizations optimize the service request management process and improve overall workforce productivity, response time and customer satisfaction. PlanIT Impact -- Kansas City, Mo. PlanIT Impact is a Web application that allows architects and planners to better understand how a building or respective area will impact the environment. The tool generates early performance calculations related to energy and water usage, stormwater infiltration, greenhouse gas emissions, transportation, building mix, quality of life and potential ROI. The Ark Labs -- Florence, Ala. The Ark Labs is a platform that improves water efficiency in residential homes. The technology leverages artificial intelligence software in conjunction with smart devices to conserve water. Branch Technology -- Huntsville and Chattanooga Branch Technology 3-D prints buildings using novel extrusion technology, conventional construction materials and large-scale robotics. The company is taking 3-D printing to a new level, creating mass customization of prefabricated wall panels to democratize design freedom for normal construction projects. Local Flows -- Oxford, UK Local Flows is developing an online platform that connects local supplies of materials to makers in digital fabrication. The company aims to be the "on-demand Uber for connecting Makers to new material markets." GigTank-UTC Fellowship Team -- Chattanooga In partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, GigTank annually devotes one spot in its program to a team of local researchers and students. This year's team will be led by Dr. Daniel Loveless and Dr. Donald Reising. Source: Co.Lab