By Péralte C. Paul
Entrepreneurs don’t just create new technologies, they create solutions that can help transform existing industry.
It’s the blueprint for success reflected in the 13 Select companies of the Advanced Technology Development Center that are graduating in the 2015 ATDC Startup Showcase on April 2.
These three Select firms are doing just that in the manufacturing, ion-lithium batteries, and the ubiquitous voicemail:
SoftWear Automation Inc.: The company, led by K.P Reddy, is designing fully automated production lines for the robotic manufacturer of sewn products. Its mission is to lower the production costs of existing U.S. manufacturers of sewn products plus bring garment manufacturing back to the United States. By utilizing SoftWear’s automated sewing technologies, garment manufacturers can reduce the cost of production, match overseas prices, and bring manufacturing back to the United States. The process takes two separate technologies working together synergistically; SAM is the automatic sewing machine and LOWRY is the fabric manipulation robot designed to transfer fabric and garment parts to the automated sewing operation. Together, they reduce cost of production, make higher-quality sewn products, increase customization, and create faster turnaround.
Sila Nanotechnologies Inc.: This specialty chemicals company that was co-founded by Gene Berdichevsky, develops next-generation energy storage materials for lithium-ion batteries. Sila develops novel nanostructured materials for high-energy, high-power batteries, super capacitors, and hybrid energy storage devices. Sila’s materials can increase battery runtime, reduce size and weight, and lower the cost of energy storage on a dollar-per-kilowatt-hour basis. This will dramatically increase battery run life for smaller and lighter devices, empower mass adoption of electric cars with longer range, and lower costs for grid scale energy storage.
VoAPPs Inc.: The company’s DirectDROP Voicemail delivers a voicemail message directly to a consumer’s voice mailbox without calling that person’s telephone. VoAPPs, which was founded by David King, enables businesses to efficiently, effectively, and legally communicate with their customers via their mobile phones. VoAPPs is completely TCPA and FDCPA compliant — the only automated solution for a business to legally contact consumers on their mobile phone. VoAPPs was named a Technology Association of Georgia Top 40 Most Innovative Company in 2013.
The 13 Select companies will be honored in the graduation ceremony sponsored by the AT&T Foundry.
The 2015 ATDC Startup Showcase is Thursday, April 2 at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center. Come see ATDC’s most promising startups demonstrate their technologies. Don’t miss the ATDC Fast Pitch in collaboration with Venture Atlanta. Click here for more information and to register.