Mindstamp, a Melbourne-based software startup,  took home the $25,000 grand prize this past week from the 2021 Crummer Rollins Venture Plan Competition. The annual Rollins Venture Plan Competition is amongst the most prestigious in Florida. Companies selected as finalists have a track record of success, generating over $55 million in revenue and raising over $36 million in investment capital since the competition started in 2012.

2021 is a year of growth for Groundswell Startups and their expanding ecosystem. The recent completion of the 8,500 square foot Tomahawk Robotics building marked a milestone for Space Coast startups and paved a pathway for growth for other companies to expand. Recently, Critical Frequency Design, Givr Packaging, and Alertgy all moved to buildings adjacent to Groundswell Startups to meet the growing demands of their customers, and to provide more space for their employees.

The opening of the new 8,500 sqft Tomahawk Robotics building has created a pathway for tech expansions in the Groundswell Startups Community. Located in the South Melbourne expansion area, the Tomahawk Robotics building marks a new milestone for the Space Coast startup ecosystem.

Groundswell Startup’s first collaborative Idea Stage Accelerator Cohort, in partnership with StaterStudio, wrapped up this past month with a Pitch Night. Seven founders, who over the past ten weeks worked to test their ideas, conduct market research, and build sustainable revenue and business models, pitched their ideas to a socially distanced audience of mentors, community partners, and fellow Groundswell companies.

The facts are simple:

1. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in sports on school campuses.
2. 1 in 300 youth have an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk for SCA.
3. A simple test can save a life.

For so many nonprofits this year, best laid plans had to change to respond to the impact of COVID-19 on communities. Club Esteem, a nonprofit organization offering free after-school and summer programs to economically disadvantaged children in grades 1 through 12 who live in the South Melbourne/Palm Bay area, that meant cancelling their annual Rock the Casbah fundraiser, and shifting the way they delivered their services from face-to-face sessions to virtual tutoring and curbside food pickup.

It all started in February of 2019 when Brevard Achievement Center (BAC) reached out to Shannon Landin, CEO/Founder of Codecraft Works, to collaborate on a technical training program. Together, they piloted a program funded by Vocational Rehabilitation, Fibonacci, focused on bringing technical skills to individuals with disabilities, with the goal of removing barriers, ensuring access, and practicing inclusion for all people. As a referral from BAC, Landin met Carl, who joined the program’s first cohort and made an impression on everyone he interacted with along the way. 

Meet Charles Chen and Antonio Correas, Cofounders of Skymantics. Having recently been awarded a contract from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to lead a project under the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)—creating a reference guide for transformations in wireless connectivity for airports—Skymantics is leading the way in identifying needs for new connectivity technology and supporting emerging applications for travel health management. 

Dylan Cross is on a mission: to bring the first performance wear made completely from recycled ocean plastic to market. What started as a college business venture with a few friends to sell eco-friendly clothing has quickly shifted into a startup focused on solving one of the most pressing issues of our time—getting plastic out of the world’s oceans and doing something good with it. 

If you come to Groundswell Startups seeking help with a product, the first person you’ll likely meet is Pawan. A Groundswell Mentor since the organization was founded in 2016, Pawan has been a trusted advisor to our startup community, helping entrepreneurs and founders turn their ideas into prototypes.