U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Wednesday gave an update on his work in Washington, D.C. and some critical issues facing the state of Alabama.
Speaking to reporters on a teleconference, Tuberville first outlined the tours he took last Thursday and Friday of the Wiregrass and Mobile, respectively.
Shipshape, an Austin-based company that was part of the TechStars Alabama EnergyTech Accelerator program, will be establishing a satellite office and adding employees in Birmingham.
The company, which offers smart home software that tracks home maintenance systems and provides a “check engine” light for homeowners to identify problems before they happen, will establish an office in the Magic City to expand their Southeastern customer base as well as the company’s headcount.
For the past 15 years, the Alabama Launchpad Startup Competition has guided some of the best and brightest entrepreneurs in Alabama by investing $5.6 million in 100 Alabama startups. Now, Alabama Launchpad is introducing a few changes to the program to provide even greater support for participating startups. We spoke with 7 Alabama entrepreneurs serving as Launch Advisors for the program to learn more.
The Montgomery TechLab (MGM TechLab) this week launched its inaugural tech accelerator program; ten companies from around the country are participating in the 12-week program, which is being conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Companies in the program will develop digital services solutions with applications in the defense, health care and energy industries. During the program, they will receive funding for meeting various milestones and develop relationships with business leaders at regional institutions, including partners at Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex and Alabama Power Company.
A matchmaking app that pairs people with puppies and a startup developing a drone delivery service are the first two ventures funded by the Portal Fund, a program designed to “ignite South Alabama’s startup ecosystem.”
The Portal Fund has announced investments of $50,000 in Deuce Drone and $25,000 in Barkd. The fund is a program of Mobile-based Innovation Portal, a business incubator created by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and an array of partners.
Both an example of mutually beneficial public-private partnerships and how innovation has been especially key amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Alabama’s Hi.Ed continues to find new ways to utilize its unique online platform to connect students to 21st-century jobs.
Yellowhammer News in the fall reported that Hi.Ed, which stands for Hyper-Individualized Education Design, had recently joined Birmingham’s Innovation Depot, which is renowned for helping new and developing startups.
Innovation Depot began its Voltage program today, bringing together 11 entrepreneurs selected for the inaugural cohort in the Depot’s new idea incubator.
Voltage supports entrepreneurs who have an idea for a tech or tech-enabled business as they translate that idea into a prototype. The nine-week program held outside of traditional 9-to-5 working hours enables would-be founders to assess their ideas before leaving a primary job or investing excess funds into a product.
Some Henry County children now have access to better technology at the Abbeville Boys and Girls Club.
The Club was a recent recipient of the Alabama Power Elevate Grant. The grant money was used to purchase twenty brand new Chrome laptops, with mice, and an ink jet printer.
Acclinate has been selected for the 2021 class of the Cox Enterprises Social Impact Accelerator, powered by Techstars. Acclinate is a minority-owned, Alabama-based company that strives to achieve health equity and personalized health care for all by diversifying genomic data and clinical research.
The Social Impact Accelerator program provides virtual mentoring, funding and global connections to 10 for-profit, mission-driven companies. Acclinate is the only Alabama company to be selected for the 2021 class.
Policies focused on growing Alabama’s economy and elevating its communities are a high priority of state lawmakers in this year’s legislative session.
The 2021 legislative session opened on Tuesday in Montgomery. Discussions quickly centered around ways to help the state continue its recovery from COVID-19, among other pressing issues. State Sen. Greg Reed of Jasper said lawmakers are committed to helping Alabamians overcome hardships caused by the virus.
