Make-Print, a Melbourne-based software startup, took home the $5,000 second place prize from the 2021 Embry-Riddle Launch Your Venture Competition. The annual pitch competition is amongst the most prestigious in Florida for student-led startups. The state-wide competition is focused on disruptive technologies impacting the aviation, aerospace and engineering industries. The prize money is often the first dollar these student-led startups receive to explore their idea and launch their company. 

Chris Marot is a familiar face around Groundswell Startups and no stranger to growing new businesses. An entrepreneur with specialized experience, he has started MotorCo Electric, a company that is creating modern, efficient and domestically-sourced electric motors. During his time in the United States Army, Chris learned there is a substantial demand for better electric motors, especially with a new national mandate to move away from electric motors, permanent magnets and rare Earth materials that are produced overseas. With a clear market need, Chris teamed up with Groundswell Member Andrew Katrina, Groundswell Founder John Vecchio and Scott Hrastar MotorCo began.

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.

If there is one thing everyone can agree on, it is the non-negotiable need for sterile surgical instruments in our hospitals. That is why the partnership between RTP Systems Inc. and Trinetics Group is so incredibly important. These two companies have collectively come up with a machine that produces 1 MILLION surgical instrument sterilization wraps annually.

Andrew Katrina of AK3D is excited about the future of additive manufacturing, the ever-growing technology known more commonly as 3D printing. Through the use of additive manufacturing, AK3D is breaking down barriers for entrepreneurs by reducing the costs to getting a prototype made and providing small-run manufacturing. This allows inventors to get their product into the hands of customers and gain valuable early-stage feedback.

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.

A dynamic partnership between Groundswell Startups and StarterStudio brings the second Idea Stage Accelerator Cohort to Brevard County, kicking off January 27th, 2021. 

A feature on Good Morning America is a big deal for any business, but for a small business, it is game-changing. Groundswell member Catania Enterprises teamed up with Amaranth Vase Company to produce a reimagined flower vase so innovative, it was promoted on Good Morning America’s “Deals & Steals” this fall.

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.