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Finalists to make presentations in NMSU Arrowhead Center’s Launch competition

  Finalists of the Launch competition sponsored by Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University will pitch their final presentations next week at the Launch Day event.

Arrowhead Center began offering the Launch proof of concept center, or POCC, in 2011. It offers NMSU innovative entrepreneurs with resources such as direct business mentorship, market analysis, demonstration-validation sources, cash investment and access to investment networks. 

Finalists will make their presentations beginning at 1:30 p.m. April 28 in the Domenici Hall Yates Theater on the NMSU campus. A reception will follow the pitch presentations. NMSU faculty, staff and students are invited to help select winners for the Crowd Favorite, Social Media Favorite and Grand awards. 

“Launch helps grow early-state research and technologies into marketable products and services. At the end of the three-month program, the selected participants – who receive seed funding, mentorship, marketing and product development services, and education for investment readiness – vie for various awards, including the grand Launch award,” said Terry Lombard, director of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer at NMSU.

The Intellectual Property Office at Arrowhead Center is where the Launch program resides.

“Launch is supported by the U.S. Economic Development Administration i6 Challenge program, with the goal of bringing to market the nation’s most promising and emerging ideas and technologies,” said Shanta Thoutam, Launch competition director. “Additionally, the Launch cohorts who met and exceeded their plans and milestones not only have a marketable product or company, but also worked on aspects such as discovering and profiling their potential customers to understand their pains and gains and applying those aspects to develop a much stronger product.”

Thoutam said this round of Launch was quite competitive, and that the cohorts participated “with great zeal” and took the program to the next level.

“I think each of them deserves a better chance to win the grand Launch award,” said Thoutam, who added that she has watched the Launch program grow and evolve over the last five years of coordinating and managing the competition.

To register to attend, visit http://arrowheadcenterlaunch.eventbrite.com. Voters may select the Social Media Favorite of Launch finalists at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Z9SY5TQ.

Finalists include the Go: Backpack Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Equus, Maestro Review System, Small-Scale Low-Temp Multiple Effect, and Distillation for Brackish Groundwater.

Information from NMSU