Space Florida, ITEN WIRED Summit Announces Award Recipients of $100K Startup Pitch Competition

EXPLORATION PARK, Fla.—Oct. 20, 2023—ITEN WIRED, Space Florida, Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) and TechFarms Capital are pleased to announce the top three winners of the ITEN WIRED Innovation Awards startup pitch competition held on October 19, 2023.

• First Place ($50,000): National Energy USA
• Second Place ($25,000): CogAbility
• Third Place ($25,000): GreenlightGO

The three awards, funded by Space Florida and FPL, are non-dilutive, which means that the winning companies do not have to give up equity for the awards received.“We are thrilled to provide support for the winners of today’s ITEN WIRED Innovation Awards,” said Rob Long, president and CEO of Space Florida. “Forward-thinking innovation like this is essential to meet the growing demand for commercial activities both in space and on Earth.”

“It is encouraging to see the number of potential high-growth tech ventures being built in the region,” said Danielle Mousseau, Manager of Economic Development, 35 Mules – FPL’s innovation hub. “Congratulations to the winners.”

The winners were selected from a pool of eight finalists, including pre-seed and seed-stage companies in the technology space. Each finalist pitched their business to a panel of independent judges at the ITEN WIRED Summit, a two-day event that brings together entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders from Northwest Florida.

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‍About Florida Power & Light Company’s 35 Mules innovation hub: 35 Mules is the first inhouse innovation hub backed by a global energy leader, NextEra Energy. Sitting under Florida Power & Light Company, it provides early-stage startups in its program with cross-industry subject-matter expertise, entrepreneurial coaching and programming, world-class facilities and access to Fortune 500 corporate and technology leaders. Additionally, 35 Mules provides support to Florida’s startup ecosystem through organizations and events like ITEN WIRED. https://www.35mules.com/

‍About Space Florida: Space Florida is where leading aerospace companies get everything they need to see their new ideas take off. As that state’s aerospace finance and development authority, Space Florida brings a mix of unrivaled experience, unmatched financial tools, and unbeatable location to the table by providing critical business financing opportunities for the aerospace industry, managing infrastructure investment in the state’s spaceport system, and facilitating research and development, workforce, education, and investment programs. Visit www.spaceflorida.gov for more information.

‍About ITEN WIRED: ITEN (Innovation Technology Entrepreneur Network) WIRED Summit is the Southeast’s premier cyber security and IT conference to connect, collaborate and build community with industry leaders, entrepreneurs and educators on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship topics. https://itenwired.com/

‍About TechFarms Capital: TechFarms Capital invests in early-stage tech startups in the Southeast United States. Based in Northwest Florida, Fund I was established to professionalize access to seed-stage capital required by an increasing number of tech startups. https://www.techfarmscapital.com/