The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), Venture Atlanta, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber named student-led startup Gimme the winner of the 10th annual TAG Business Launch Competition. The event was held on May 11 at SCADShow.
Gimme, a maker of a device and software that enables vending machines to communicate sales, cash and inventory data to handheld devices, will receive $50,000 and a spot in Venture Atlanta, the Peach State’s premier technology conference that connects Georgia’s entrepreneurs with the capital they need to grow their businesses. The company also will receive more than $100,000 in donated services from the Atlanta business community to help it grow.
Gimme’s hardware and accompanying analytics and tracking software helps prevent theft, saves labor costs, and improves inventory management. The company, co-founded by Georgia Tech electrical engineering senior Cory Hewett and 2014 Georgia Tech electrical engineering alumnus Evan Jarecki, bested three other startups in the final round of a bracket competition.
The company launched out of Startup Summer, Georgia Tech’s faculty-led, student-focused, 12-week intensive pilot program for student teams to form companies based on their ideas, inventions, and prototypes. The team also received coaching from VentureLab, Tech’s incubator for the commercialization and formation of companies around student, faculty, and staff ideas and inventions.
“We congratulate Gimme and all of the companies who participated in this year’s extremely strong competition,” TAG President and CEO Tino Mantella said. “We look forward to the growth and continued success of these companies and we thank all of our sponsors and volunteers who have made the TAG Business Launch Competition possible.”
Gimme is growing, and Hewett and Jarecki are adding more talent to the Gimme team, especially in the area of software development, and would love to hire current Georgia Tech students or alumni.
“Our team is ecstatic to be recognized by TAG and the Chamber of Commerce as this year’s winner,” said Hewett. “With the support of our customers and Georgia Tech, we are very optimistic to see what the future holds. A big part of our forward progress will involve bringing dynamic new talent into our team!”
Gimme’s win continues a streak of startups with connections to Tech and its startup development programs at the Enterprise Innovation Institute, including VentureLab, ATDC, and Flashpoint:
- 2014: Monsieur (Tech graduates, ATDC Select, Paul Judge investor).
- 2013: Techturized (Tech students, Flashpoint, ATDC).
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2012: Collector Dash (Tech graduate, Flashpoint).
- 2011: Pindrop (Tech spinout and graduate, VentureLab, ATDC, and Flashpoint).
- 2010: HireIQ (Tech graduate, ATDC, ATDC Seed Fund).
- 2009: Accelereyes (Tech graduate, ATDC).
- 2008: Acculynk (ATDC).
To learn more about Gimme and the startup culture at Georgia Tech, read “Workshop Maker Culture Meets Startup Incubators” in the latest issue of Georgia Tech Research Horizons Magazine.