Photo credit: Joe McAdory
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (May 11, 2026) – Alabama Launchpad, a program of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) in partnership with Innovate Alabama, is proud to announce Joseph Rusk and The BreadBoard Company as the winner of the Alabama Launchpad Cycle 1 2026 Technology Track competition.
Rusk will receive $75,000 in non-dilutive funding, along with access to ongoing mentorship and exposure to Alabama’s growing network of investors, founders and innovation partners. The BreadBoard Company is inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders by making robotics and electronics approachable for young learners. Through hands-on kits, step-by-step instruction similar to building with Legos and engaging video tutorials, the company encourages students to explore STEM fields while building confidence through creativity and innovation.
“Winning Alabama Launchpad is truly life changing,” said Rusk. “This award gives me the opportunity to turn my idea into a successful business. We are now able to move into the next stage of launching our product, which would have been far more difficult without this award. We are incredibly excited for what’s ahead for The BreadBoard Company.”
The company was selected from a competitive group of five other technology-focused finalists, which also included:
Apex Integrated Solutions (Huntsville, Alabama) – Apex Integrated Solutions runs Aletheia, an integrity layer that detects tampering, hidden behavioral conditioning, and safety failures inside locally-deployed AI models in defense and regulated industries.
Liberty Limbs, LLC (Birmingham, Alabama) – Liberty Limbs designs affordable, modular cosmetic covers for prosthetic limbs. Its patent-pending anchor system allows users to swap styles without replacing the entire cover, reducing cost, increasing personalization and helping amputees express their identity with confidence.
Scoutz (Birmingham, Alabama) – Scoutz is an AI-powered basketball recruiting platform that connects high school, college and professional athletes with college coaches and professional teams worldwide through data-driven scouting, ratings and verified exposure.
Surge People Partners (Madison, Alabama) – Surge builds Suri, an AI HR business partner for growth-stage technology companies. It delivers executive-level HR judgment, compliance intelligence and real-time manager coaching directly inside Slack and Microsoft Teams—providing scalable HR infrastructure without adding headcount.
Each of the finalists showcased innovative ideas and entrepreneurial potential that continue to strengthen Alabama’s growing technology ecosystem.
The finalists pitched their ventures behind closed doors to a panel of experienced judges, including Lindsay Barnes, Nate Schmidt and Ian Hoppe.
“The incredible level of talent, creativity, and passion showed through in this vertical,” said Barnes. “We will not see the last of these founders, and it would be a credit to the Alabama tech ecosystem to support their growth and commitment to this great community. Launchpad found some winners through and through and does it cycle after cycle.”
Cycle 1 2026 continues Alabama Launchpad’s industry-specific competition format, which provides Alabama startups with upfront finalist funding, mentorship and the opportunity to compete for non-dilutive capital designed to help early-stage companies scale and grow within the state.
Applications for Alabama Launchpad Cycle 2 2026 are now open, with a priority deadline of July 1 and a final application deadline of August 13. For more information about Alabama Launchpad and Cycle 2 2026, visit www.alabamalaunchpad.com.
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