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XLR8UH Announces Finalists for Second Cohort

The University of Hawaii today announce the selection of 10 teams as finalists for the second cohort of its XLR8UH proof of concept center. The program says the companies’ innovative research represents solutions in the areas of biotech, robotics, clean tech and software–and could lead to commercial success as well.

The teams have the potential to receive up to $50,000 for completing the program and are eligible for $100,000 in follow up funding.

Selected from more than 70 team applications, the 10 finalists are represented by faculty and student researchers from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine, Institute for Astronomy, College of Engineering and the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

“We are thrilled to welcome the finalists for our second cohort at XLR8UH,” said Omar Sultan, managing director of XLR8UH. “The diversity and quality of our teams are a wonderful showcase of the talent, innovation and commercialization opportunities present at the University of Hawaii.”

The teams are currently in the first phase of the program, where they will be assessing and developing their business models based upon the Lean Startup methodology. Teams selected to advance on to the second phase will immerse themselves into further business development efforts and in the third phase they will develop and practice their pitch to investors. Throughout the entire program, the teams will have access to valuable mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and investors.

“The XLR8UH proof of concept center is a cornerstone to the successful commercialization of our research,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, UH vice president for research and innovation. “By developing talented entrepreneurs from our ranks and fortifying the entrepreneurial ecosystem at UH, we are also contributing to the Hawaii Innovation Initiative in its efforts to diversify the state’s economy.”

XLR8UH Second Cohort Finalists

About XLR8UH

XLR8UH is the University of Hawaii’s first proof of concept center. In a collaborative effort along with the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, XLR8UH seeks to identify, fund, mentor and empower University of Hawaii entrepreneurs with the skills, connections and expertise needed to drive startup success. For more information, see http://xlr8uh.com.

About the Hawaii Innovation Initiative

The University of Hawaii is working in partnership with the private sector and government to build a thriving innovation, research, education and training enterprise in Hawaii that will develop a third major economic sector for the state and addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by Hawaii and the world. For more information, see http://hawaii.edu/innovation.

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