By Amy Camba and Allan Maurer
ATLANTA—IVOX, which tracks drivers of commercial vehicles via a GPS/GIS system that rates the operator’s performance, won the $300,000, 2007 Georgia Research Alliance/Technology Association of Georgia business launch competition. “We learned there are a lot of great companies and entrepreneurs in Atlanta,” said IVOX co-founder and CEO Gregg Warren.
Peter Sinisgalli, a judge from Manhattan Associates, said the panel chose IVOX because “it is closer to launching and has a bit more experience than the other companies and a better developed business plan.” Sinisgalli also said Georgia has the entrepreneurial talent it needs but not enough venture capital funding.
For more information on IVOX, see TechJournal South’s profile of the company that ran prior to the event: http://techjournalsouth.com/news/article.html?item_id=3116.
This was only the second year for the GRA/TAG event, which added nearly $100,000 in additional professional services from TAG members to the winner’s prize package this year. IVOX also receives $100,000 in cash. Last year’s winner, REACHMDconsult, reported that useful as the cash was, the services were equally valuable. They provide the winner with expert advise in marketing, PR, accounting, and legal issues.
Tino Mantella, president of TAG, said this year the event was not tied to university spinouts the way it was in 2006. “It also focused on what a start-up company needs to take it to the next level using TAG mentoring.”
Warren said he was surprised at the sophistication of the support provided by TAG. He appreciated the advice from mentor John Baker, who provided good feedback during the competition. Warren said the level of competition in the event was high.
Finalist James Jones of Forecasting Grid Systems did not win but found the competition valuable. “Getting the face time with mentors and practice judges to learn which questions I wasn’t addressing in my business plan, dealing with really hard questions and trying to find the best answer to those,” was a learning experience, he said. For the TJS profile of FGS, see: http://techjournalsouth.com/search/search.html.
Bakari Brooks of Integrated Software Systems, another finalist, said the competition “is really about sharpening your pencil and dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s. Our advisor looked at us from a different perspective. He taught us how to step back and look at the big picture. For the TJS profile of ISS, see: http://techjournalsouth.com/news/article.html?item_id=3162.
Cash Flow Analytics was also a finalist. For the TJS profile of CFA: see http://techjournalsouth.com/search/search.html
For more information on TAG see: http://www.tagonline.org/
For more on the Georgia Research Alliance see: http://www.atlantahighered.org/resources/georgia/gra.asp
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