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Alabama Founder Fest to Showcase Emerging Startups, Innovation and Investment Opportunities | Combining Forces with Innovate Alabama’s Exclusive State of Innovation Celebration

Birmingham, AL (November 18, 2024) — The inaugural Alabama Founder Fest is set to take place Dec. 10 and 11, 2024, at Innovation Depot. Created to amplify Alabama’s business, technology and entrepreneurial strengths, Founder Fest offers startups a valuable platform to showcase their innovations to potential investors and customers while encouraging networking and community-building opportunities for the broader tech ecosystem. The first-ever gathering will also coincide with Innovate Alabama’s invitation-only State of Innovation Day, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at Regions Field.   Highlighting Alabama’s dynamic entrepreneurial landscape, Alabama Founder Fest will feature startups from leading accelerators, including Techstars, gener8tor and Alabama Launchpad, offering participants the chance to interact with groundbreaking innovation spanning industries like climate technology, clean energy, healthcare, agricultural technology, water technology and more. Attendees will hear pitches from a range of startups, network with ecosystem partners and investors, engage with startup founders, and witness $75,000 in prize money awarded to winners of Alabama Launchpad.   “Founder Fest is a culmination of a year of hard work – recruiting founders, developing founders and their startups, and finally, positioning those companies for the best chances of success in this state and beyond,” said Miller Girvin, COO of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. “We can’t wait to introduce the Alabama ecosystem to some of these impressive companies, but we’re just as thrilled to open our doors to investors from outside the state. Alabama’s startups can compete on a national level, and Founder Fest is another opportunity for them to excel.” On Day One [Tuesday, December 10], the community is invited to Innovation Depot for a full morning of pitches where the audience will help shape the outcome. Attendees will be encouraged to participate as crowd judges, casting votes for their favorite startups across multiple categories.  Later that afternoon, invited founders, investors and ecosystem partners will gather at Regions Field for Innovate Alabama’s annual marquee event, 2024 State of Innovation Day. This event  celebrates the evolution of innovation and entrepreneurship in Alabama by uniting visionaries, corporate partners, ecosystem builders and investors from inside and outside of the state to spotlight Alabama’s commitment to and progress in becoming a hub for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. The evening will culminate with Founder Fest’s presentation and awards, and will conclude with a networking social and the Founder Fest Showcase, an expo-style feature providing a closer look at the standout companies who are launching their ideas in Alabama.   At Day Two [Wednesday, December 11], select startup founders and investors will collide at an exclusive “Deal Flow Day,” a day dedicated to strategic meetings, culminating in a celebratory after-party. This invite-only experience is designed to foster connections between investors and startups primed for growth and investment, strengthening Alabama’s reputation as a thriving hub for innovation.   “This event will be the catalyst and framework for how to bring entrepreneurs together in a curated and meaningful way that celebrates them while providing an incredible opportunity to share their businesses with people who might buy from or invest in them. For the community and ecosystem, it’s a moment to be proud of the hard work and dedication that has been put into supporting the entrepreneurs throughout the year. Lastly, for investors, we get to show-off and prove that there are deals to be made in Alabama,” said Matthew Jaeh, Managing Director of Techstars Alabama Energytech Accelerator.   “Alabama is a great place to build a startup because we know how to work together to connect founders with customers and capital. Alabama Founder Fest is a perfect example of that–we have three organizations pooling their resources to showcase more than fifty really impressive startups and create a can’t-miss event for anyone interested in the South’s growing innovation economy,” said Emily Wykle, Regional Vice President of gener8tor.   To RSVP for the Pitch Blitz event, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., please visit the Alabama Founder Fest registration page here.   To view the full Founder Fest schedule, please visit the Alabama Founder Fest website here.   About Founder Fest: Founder Fest was created to showcase Alabama’s incredible wealth of business, technology, and entrepreneurial innovation. This two-day event brings together the region’s top companies, investors, and community supporters across diverse industries like climate tech, clean energy, healthcare, sustainability, and water technologies. Attendees will enjoy an expo, company pitches, a vibrant community celebration, and purposeful networking opportunities. For startups, it’s a platform to gain exposure and funding. Investors can discover breakthrough innovations, and the tech community can forge powerful connections. For more information or to register, please visit alabamafounderfest.com.    About Innovate Alabama   Innovate Alabama is Alabama’s first statewide public-private partnership focused on entrepreneurship, technology and innovation with a mission to help innovators grow roots here in Alabama. Innovate Alabama was established to implement the initiatives and recommendations set forth in the Alabama Innovation Commission’s report, including smart policy solutions that will create a more resilient, inclusive and robust economy to remain competitive in a 21st-century world. With founding CEO Cynthia Crutchfield leading the charge, Innovate Alabama is also made up of a board of 11 innovation leaders appointed by Gov. Ivey, collaborating across sectors to advance industries, drive technology and facilitate an environment where innovation and entrepreneurship thrive. Learn more about Innovate Alabama at www.innovatealabama.org.  

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  Founder Fest Media Contact: LK Whitney 205-215-9112 lk@dogtrotstudio.com

More About Alabama Launchpad

Established in 2006, Alabama Launchpad is Alabama’s most active, early-stage seed fund investor, driving innovation and job growth through startup competitions and ongoing mentoring for Alabama entrepreneurs. Alabama Launchpad is made possible by the generous support from Innovate Alabama, the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, the Alabama Department of Commerce, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Caring Foundation, Truist Bank, The University of Alabama, Auburn University, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Daniel Corporation Foundation. It is the state’s longest running business plan and pitch competition. Over the past 17 years, Alabama Launchpad has invested over $6 million into 121 Alabama startups. The winning startup companies have generated over 1,400 jobs for the state and have a combined post-money valuation of over $1 billion.

More About Our Partner, Innovate Alabama

Innovate Alabama is Alabama’s first statewide public-private partnership focused on entrepreneurship, technology and innovation with a mission to help innovators grow roots here in Alabama. Innovate Alabama was established to implement the initiatives and recommendations set forth in the Alabama Innovation Commission’s report, including smart policy solutions that will create a more resilient, inclusive and robust economy to remain competitive in a 21st-century world. With founding CEO Cynthia Crutchfield leading the charge, Innovate Alabama is also made up of a board of 11 innovation leaders appointed by Gov. Ivey, collaborating across sectors to advance industries, drive technology and facilitate an environment where innovation and entrepreneurship thrive. Learn more about Innovate Alabama at www.innovatealabama.org.

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