Eight finalists have been selected to pitch their business ideas at The Company Lab's annual Will This Float? competition. The event will take place Monday from 6 to 9 p.m. at River Place, located at 2 W. Aquarium Way during the first day of Startup Week next week.
At the free event, each finalist will get three minutes to pitch his or her startup idea before a panel of judges and an audience of local startup leaders, general attendees and potential mentors and business partners. After judges and the audience have reached their decisions, Co.Lab will announce the judges' and people's choice winners.
The top honoree will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and an Interactive Pass to SXSW, the first runner up will receive $500 and the recipient of the most audience votes will receive $250, plus donated help from local law and accounting firms.
The finalists for this year's competition are:
» Flaming Monkey Flying Circus, presented by Raquel Mullins and Kevin Bate, is a Chattanooga- based artist collective that creates interactive art installations and breaks from the traditional artist compensation model. The group will develop large-scale exhibitions in tourist-heavy areas and elsewhere, paying artists a percentage of ticket sales and then exporting their creations and concepts to other cities.
» Infinite Closet, presented by Kevin Cherrick, is an on-demand, micro-storage service that gives urban residents access to their personal belongings without having to maintain physical possession of them. For a monthly price, customers receive durable, plastic storage containers, unlimited pickup and delivery service, and storage space in a secure, climate-controlled environment.
» InfinityCo. LLC, presented by JaQuar McMickle, is the creator of Interactive Intellectual Room Assistance, guest-room software for the hospitality industry that allows customers to use their phones to control their room's environment. Guests at hotels and other participating sites can use the platform to adjust the lighting and temperature of their rooms, unlock doors and more.
» Please Assist ME, presented by Stephanie Cummings, is a tech-based platform that allows customers to outsource their weekly household chores to a team of trusted professionals. The service offers a comprehensive solution to people with busy lifestyles, managing everything from their groceries, laundry, dry cleaning, mail, house cleaning and more at an affordable price.
» SWAYY, presented by Seth Hill, is a design and manufacturing company that produces fully- insulated hammocks. The company aims to minimize the gear used in overnight camping while also providing comfort for a variety of seasons.
» The House, presented by Matt Patterson, is a "what's going on tonight" app for restaurants and bars. The platform showcases daily happenings and exclusive offers at all the best spots in town for happy hours, specials, events, live music and more.
» Tryall, presented by Jason Oteng-Nyame, is a web and mobile platform that allows users to test subscription-based products without the typical stresses of free trials. The platform helps users find and easily manage free trial subscriptions, receive personalized recommendations for other free trials, and track expiration dates to avoid incurring charges for products and services the user does not want to purchase.
» Woorly, presented by Aaron Welch, is a social CRM mobile app that connects the smallest of businesses with their existing customers while helping them find new ones. The platform also enables customers to quickly find exceptional service providers and rewards them for sharing their experiences.