The University of Arizona Center for Innovation Makes an Impact at the TENWEST Festival
After ten days of professionals, thought-leaders, creatives, educators, entrepreneurs and students joining together to explore transformative ideas in business, technology, education, sustainability, social impact and creative arts, the fifth annual TENWEST Festival has concluded.
From October 11-20, the festival featured over 100 unique events and experiences for all ages – made possible by an ambassador’s council filled with thought leaders and entrepreneurs as well as over 25 leading organizations from the Tucson community, including the University of Arizona, a title sponsor for the event.
IdeaFunding
The University of Arizona (UA) Center for Innovation’s involvement with this year’s TENWEST Festival started several weeks ago when staff members began providing pitch practice for participants of IdeaFunding, the business and entrepreneurship event inside of TENWEST. Throughout the IdeaFunding experience, founders of early-stage startups learned how to pitch their ideas to investor panels in a series of events and practice sessions in hopes of reaching the Main Stage Pitch Competition and winning $25,000 sponsored by UAVenture Capital.
Practice sessions facilitated by UA Center for Innovation staff members began on September 7 when 54 initially qualifying applicants participated in a business-pitch training session. After multiple practice sessions and events, that number was narrowed down to five finalists – Ceres AgTech, Braless Clothing Co., EnKoat, GenetiRate and Page a Day Math – who battled it out on October 17 in front of 300+ investors, entrepreneurs and community members.
For the first time in IdeaFunding history, two winners were selected to split the $25,000 prize money. This year’s winners were Braless Clothing Co. and GenetiRate. Braless Clothing Co. produces clothing for women who want to go braless yet still want to be comfortable and modest and GenetiRate performs high throughput selection of fast growing, feed efficient aquatic organisms to improve producer profitability and drive sustainable production.
Ceres AgTech, developers of the Pollidrone technology that provides an intelligent, highly scalable solution to pressing sustainability issues in date farming and beyond, won the People’s Choice Award and $1,000 sponsored by Startup Tucson.
Startup companies that didn’t qualify for the Main Stage Pitch Competition had the opportunity to compete in the Industry Vertical Pitch Competition. Companies were separated by verticals such as Biotech, SaaS, Consumer Product, Food Entrepreneurship and Retail/Fashion.
Insulin Initiative, a UA Center for Innovation client since 2019, won the Consumer Product category.
Insulin Initiative is an online pharmacy for diabetics, importing insulin directly to make it available at a reasonable cost to patients. Their goal is to significantly impact the current insulin rationing epidemic.
Community Awards Ceremony at IdeaFunding
During the evening of October 17, those who have created lasting legacies and are forging new paths in Southern Arizona were acknowledged during the Community Awards Ceremony at IdeaFunding.
Courtney Williams, CEO & Co-founder of Emagine Solutions Tehnology and a UA Center for Innovation client since 2017, was honored with the Thomas R. Brown Rising Star Award. This award recognizes an individual entrepreneur who is in the early stages of business, and poised for future success and impact and that demonstrates the same innovative spirit and commitment as the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award recipient.
"Courtney really embodies what we hope all entrepreneurs strive to be in our ecosystem and is so deserving of this recognition. She is driven, resourceful and poised to make a huge impact on our region and the world," said Liz Pocock, Startup Tucson CEO.
Emagine Solutions Technology is a digital health company. Its Vistascan software transforms a doctor's mobile device into an ultrasound machine. Unlike traditional bulky cart ultrasound machines, VistaScan fits in the palm of a doctor’s hand, is easy to use to make quick diagnoses, and is 10x cheaper than a regular machine.
Additionally, Paul August, Vice President of Biology, Icagen, and a UA Center for Innovation collaborator, was honored with the Larry Hecker and Sherry Hoskinson Lasting Community Builder Award. This award recognizes an individual that has shown outstanding commitment and dedication to building the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Tucson.
Driving Innovation Forward Roving Brunch Bus Tour
Earlier in the festival, the UA Center for Innovation was featured as part of the the Driving Innovation Forward Roving Brunch Bus Tour organized by Tech Parks Arizona. Over 60 entrepreneurs, investors, community leaders and more explored several of the University of Arizona’s innovation hubs.
The bus tour made stops at the UA Forage at Roy Place, the UA Tech Park, the UA Center for Innovation, the Solar Zone at the UA Tech Park, the UA Health Sciences Innovation Building and the UA BIO5 Institute.
At the UA Center for Innovation, attendees learned about several outposts throughout the region and got a first-hand look at the longest running incubator in the state of Arizona, located at the UA Tech Park. Here, they connected with 15 science and technology startups, toured the prototyping lab, mingled in the collaboration center and learned about the wet/dry lab spaces.
The TENWEST Festival served as an opportunity to showcase the UA Center for Innovation, engage with the Tucson community and inform others of ways to get involved with the innovation ecosystem. For those interested, the UA Center for Innovation is open for business, accepting applications from all science and technology entrepreneurs. The UA Center for Innovation is also looking for mentors and business coaches that are willing to lend their expertise. All interested parties should reach out to (520) 382-3260 or info@uacenterforinnovation.org.
