Prizes for the winners
* Top honoree picked by the judges wins $3,000* The second-place business idea picked by the judges wins $1,000* The People’s Choice award winner picked by all attendees receives $500* The judges top and runner up winners also get 10 hours donated each from the law firms of Miller & Martin and the Chambliss Startup Group; 10 hours of accounting help from Henderson, Hutcherson & McCullough; three hours of access to co-working space at the Society of Work, and a spot in the Company Lab Accelerator, the GigTank Accelerator or the Co.Starters program.
Eight entrepreneurs will dive into the startup business world next week to see if their business ideas will float among the sea of competitors vying to gain the attention and money of investors and customers.
The Company Lab on Monday announced the eight finalists who will compete for cash and business prizes in the annual “Will This Float?” competition scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m. at the Chattanooga Zoo. At the three-hour event, eight businesses will pitch their business plans before a panel of three judges and an audience of community members, who will cast votes to determine the prize winners.
“The breadth of this year’s ‘Will This Float?’ ideas truly exemplifies the vibrant nature of Chattanooga’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Jack Studer, executive director of the Company Lab, said in a statement Monday. “From a novel approach to end-of-life planning to a fun new spin on the traditional piñata and tools to help individuals become better versions of themselves, this year’s ‘Will This Float?’ competition will illustrate the overflowing creativity and entrepreneurial spirit Chattanooga has to offer.”
The top honoree will receive a cash prize of $3,000, and the runner up will receive $1,000. The winner of the People’s Choice Award will receive $500. The first- and second-place winners also will receive a package of free business services donated by local law firms, accountants and office owners.