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Shark Tank-Style Competition Funds Startups at the University of South Alabama

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Amanda Akey
Amanda Akey

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Nine teams made up of University of South Alabama students, faculty, staff and alumni recently competed in the Launch USA | Pitch Competition for a chance to win $10,000 in seed money from the Melton Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.

The competition was the culmination of the Launch USA | Big Ideas Challenge, a program designed to foster entrepreneurial spirit by offering business education, mentorship and $5,000 in initial funding to support start-ups.

During the August 26 pitch event, sponsored by C-Spire, each team had ten minutes to pitch their product or idea to a three-judge panel, similar to the TV show “Shark Tank”. The judges had the discretion to distribute the prize money as they saw fit. The top prize of $7,500 went to engineering student Braxton Daw. His company, ManuLabs offers end-to-end solutions for designing and manufacturing complex components for industries like aerospace and healthcare.

The judges also awarded $2,500 to UroBacT, a diagnostic tool for urinary tract infections (UTIs) that will help increase accuracy, improve patient outcomes and advance antibiotic stewardship. The team from the Whiddon College of Medicine was led by Dr. Allyson Shea and assisted by researchers Rachel Fleck and Ethan Meyers.

The judging panel included Mr. Mike Eckert, Chairman, Gulf South Angels, Mr. Brent Barkin, Strategic Advisor, Stoic Equity Partners and Ms. Angela Dunn, Senior Vice President, Pinnacle Financial Partners.

The inaugural year of the Launch USA | Big Ideas Challenge was supported by a grant from the University of Alabama Honors College and the Innovate Alabama Network, a program which seeks to provide seed funding for innovative projects and encourage partnerships within the innovation ecosystem.

The Melton Center’s vision is to educate, engage, develop and impact the entrepreneurial community at the University of South Alabama and across the Central Gulf Coast region. The center supports the undergraduate entrepreneurship major through the Mitchell College of Business and offers programs for high school students and community members.

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