May 11
25
AirVentions selected finalist for MassChallenge
125 Start-ups to take MassChallenge
By Donna Goodison | BostonHerald.com | Tuesday, May 24, 2011
MassChallenge today announced the 125 finalists of its second annual $1 million start-up competition and accelerator program. The finalists range from high-tech and clean-tech businesses to life sciences and social impact ventures. They represent 19 states and five countries, including Kenya and South Korea, but the bulk were from Massachusetts. The finalists, who are offered mentoring and three months of free Boston office space at MassChallenge’s headquarters on Fan Pier, will compete for $1 million in cash prizes that will be announced in October. Last year, both $50,000 and $100,000 prizes were awarded.
Among the 96 Bay State finalists are:
• AirVentions, a developer of collision avoidance systems for aircraft support equipment at airports;
• Eos Photonics, which designs and manufactures high-power, infrared lasers for environmental and homeland security applications;
• Precision Slip, which has a novel drag-reducing marine coating that significantly reduces the fuel costs and increases the speed of marine vessels;
• Therapeutic Systems, which has developed a sensory-based medical device designed to help people with autism break down barriers and become more engaged in life; and
• Blank Label, an online customer dress shirt retailer.
Picked after two rounds of judging, the finalists will start the Boston accelerator program on June 27. The program, billed as the world’s largest start-up competition for high-growth, high-impact new businesses, fielded a total of 733 entries — up from 446 applications last year — from 34 states and 24 countries. The most foreign entries were received from India, Canada, Israel and Russia.
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