* Name: SK8GLO
* Location: Based in Chattanooga
* Products/services: Partners Todd Landers and Curtis Phillips created an injection-molded bracket designed to hold a small glow light and that fits under any standard skateboard. By fitting four of the brackets to the underside of a skateboard, the glow lights create up to six hours of light for skateboarders who wish to skate at night or desire ground effects on the underside of their board. The invention replaces existing LED technology that is more expensive and can break under stress, they said.
* Age: Research and development began in January 2007, and the company began marketing the skateboard lighting system near the end of May.
* Startup investment: After a startup investment of $15,000, the founders plan to sell $200,000 worth of product per year, at $12.95 for four brackets with glow lights and $6.95 for replacement glowsticks.
* Target market: Mr. Landers originally made the product out of a Coke can for one of his children, and as a result the product is marketed to younger and first-time skateboarders, but it is not limited to any age group.
* Biggest hurdle: Getting prototypes and going from the original soda can to a finished plastic product that remains on the bottom of the board.
* Biggest reward: Seeing something sellable going to market.
* Challenges in the future: Marketing and selling the product, using viral marketing campaigns on YouTube and Facebook, and finding partners who want to distribute the product.
* Lesson learned: The partners learned that working with many large retailers requires a lot of behind-the-scenes paperwork, capital expenditure and production capacity.
* Five-year goal: To have SK8GLO products in several major retailers throughout the United States and the world.