Codefi announces 9 finalists in startup contest

Business incubator Codefi announced nine finalists Thursday in the second round of its 1st50K competition.

The nine budding startups advance to a final round of judging in December in the hopes of winning $50,000 to help get their big ideas off the ground.

The competition's director, James Stapleton, said to get to this point, the applicants had to endure rigorous scrutiny.

"In only our second round of 1st50K, we are pleased to see a considerable increase in the breadth and depth of the quality from applicants," he said.

The companies, in alphabetical order, are campaigning on the merits of the following ideas:

• Florida-based startup 3DProtoEdit capitalizes on the increasing capabilities of 3-D modeling to create hands-on tools to help professionals present information. Such technology could aid, for instance, doctors in teaching students what the inside of a heart or kidney looks like before an operation.
• Algerian company Digitiny's services allow individuals to sell digital downloads without having to go through the hassle of uploading, paying additional commission and storage fees or waiting for payment. Compatible with Dropbox or a Google Drive account, Digitiny is seeking to help people start making money without having a personal website.
• Another Florida-based operation, Driver's License Alert Pro, has developed a smartphone app that monitors subscribers' licenses and notifies them if they lapse into suspension or revocation for any reason. For a monthly fee, Florida drivers can drive easier. The service is available only in Florida at this point.
• Boston's Fittus produces an app that helps users manage their gym-going schedules while coordinating workout buddies to train with and stay motivated.
• Galadriel, a Canadian startup, designs automated accounting systems for other startups. Their goal is to take care of the number-crunching so young companies can focus on pleasing their customers and growing their businesses.
• St. Louis startup Impress designed a multi-platform crossover app to help build, maintain and share comprehensive and customizable resumes.
• From Cape Girardeau, Outside360 is seeking to create a peer-to-peer marketplace that allows users to list and search for exciting opportunities to get outdoors -- think AirBnB, but for private land and outdoor recreation.
• PJ Networked Systems, out of Atlanta, is hoping to beat the pack to a future that drives electric cars by designing energy-efficiency systems for them.
• Indian company Portuspine is engineering a Bluetooth-enabled wearable device that monitors posture and compiles the data necessary for users to improve their posture if necessary.

The second round of pitches comes only months after the first 1st50K grant was awarded to Los Angeles startup Nutlock, whose founders designed a more effective bicycle lock.

Jeff Maurer, 1st50K committee chairman, said the competition's continued popularity speaks to the Cape Girardeau business climate.

"What the number and quality of applicants tells us is that Cape Girardeau and Missouri can attract innovative companies and talented people," he said. "We'll continue to find ways to do just that."

tgraef@semissourian.com

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