An Ann Arbor startup application connecting manufacturers to machinists has won $25,000 through Ann Arbor SPARK’s Entrepreneur Boot Camp.
On Wednesday evening, four early-stage companies—Hippo Creates, STEMpro, Tackboard, and PolicySwift—pitched their ideas to a panel of judges for a chance to win the investment.
Taking home the Best of Boot Camp grand prize was Tackboard. This manufacturing plant application immediately alerts managers and support function groups of down machines, helping save plants tens of thousands by minimizing downtime. Founder Josh Porter had a vision for the product and visited a number of tech hubs around the country before launching the idea.
After speaking with Ann Arbor SPARK, he moved from southern Indiana to the Ann Arbor area to pursue his business idea. Settling at Cahoots in downtown Tree Town, he quickly connected with Andrew Holmes who was eager to collaborate.
In addition to the great mentorship and other resources provided by Boot Camp, Porter and Holmes pivoted after completing the program — a complete rebrand.
“We wanted the name to reflect how our product serves as an information hub in the manufacturing space while conjuring a very familiar concept,” Porter said.
“The product has a clear commercialization path as a result of their deep understanding of the problem and the challenges associated with arriving at and implementing a solution,” said judge Will Grenawitzke, who noted the founders’ passion and experience.
Boot Camp Celebration runner-up Hippo Creates is led by co-founders Ewen Nicol and Dean Skolnik. The company is developing clinical practice software that promotes an enriched internship experience between students and clinical professionals to improve students’ compliance and lower the barriers to completing a PA program accreditation.
Boot Camp Celebration judge Matt Okoneski, director of venture investments at Red Cedar Ventures said, “Hippo Creates is addressing a real unmet need of supporting and training physician assistants (PA), as the number of new PAs has decreased in recent years. PAs are a vital part of the healthcare workforce. It’s a huge challenge and their solution was a very tangible idea. We look forward to seeing how the solution evolves over time.”
Entrepreneur Boot Camp is an intensive program to help entrepreneurs of early-stage, technology-driven companies quickly determine if they have a viable business opportunity and focus on crucial next steps. Based on Lean Startup principles, Boot Camp guides participants through the process of customer discovery to validate their ideas and develop the path forward.