News

Bio-plastics startup wins Lighthouse Labs pitch contest

Charlottsville, VA (Virginia Business) – While pitching to the sharks, entrepreneur Alec Brewer told them, “I do have white powder in my pocket,” before quickly clarifying that it wasn’t an illicit substance: “It’s PHB! It’s PHB!”

The co-founder and CEO of Charlottesville-based biodegradable plastics manufacturer Ourobio, Brewer explained that his company makes PHB, or polyhydroxybutyrate, from waste in order to reduce microplastics pollution. Ourobio converts whey into PHB through a biochemical process.

Ourobio was voted “shark favorite” out of nine entrepreneurs in Richmond business accelerator Lighthouse Labs’ 2022 spring cohort that pitched to four business leaders as part of the accelerator’s biannual Demo Day competition May 24. Ourobio received $1,500 from sponsor ThinkNimble and will have naming rights to a tagged great white shark that Lighthouse Labs is sponsoring.

Founded in 2012, Lighthouse Labs is a mentor-driven nonprofit accelerator that runs two, 12-week cohort sessions each year, investing $20,000 equity-free in six to 10 early-stage startups. Entrepreneurs accepted into the program receive mentorship and education on scaling up their businesses. Lighthouse Labs has accelerated more than 80 companies during the last 10 years, providing more than $1.6 million in equity-free funding. The Demo Day pitch contest is the grand finale event for each cohort.

Llamawood CEO Hunter Garen won the audience vote in the Demo Day competition; for his prize, he was given the privilege of throwing the first pitch at a Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game.

While the same may not be true for his throwing arm,  Garen started his business pitch with a flourish, tossing postcards with coupon codes into the first few rows. Llamawood connects firewood suppliers and purchasers.

“I designed for a woman … because, as they say, women’s standards are much higher than men’s, so if you design for a woman, you’ll make every man happy,” Garen joked when telling the sharks about his customer demographics.

Sharks judging the competition were: Ajay Kori of UrbanStems and Novilla Pharmaceuticals; Claire Herring of Blue Ocean Brain; Richard Wintsch of Startup Virginia; and Joy Polefrone with VCU Health.

Also pitching at the competition were founders of Richmond-based beauty company LipLoveLine; Philadelphia-based software manufacturer Viora Health; Fort Belvoir-based health tech company Kinometrix Inc.; Philadelphia-based health care tech firm Hoth Intelligence; Richmond-based Nessle, which operates an online platform for expectant  parents; Austin, Texas-based tech firm On-Time Trials; and Houston-based health care tech company CaseCTRL.

Read more here.

Recent News

09/22/2023

State public health laboratory, Henrico County Schools launch pilot program to promote life science career

More than 50 Henrico County high school students and teachers joined scientists from Virginia’s public health and environmental laboratory Wednesday to kick off an innovative program that brings together private and government scientists and experts, business and nonprofit leaders, and public schools to explore ways to create a pipeline of talent to fuel Virginia’s growing

09/21/2023

Climate Tech Startup ThermaGEL Innovations’ Breakthrough Aerogels Join the Challenge to Save Half-Gigaton of C02 Emissions Each Year

In the fight against climate change, properly insulating homes and buildings can significantly raise energy efficiency and indoor air quality while lowering carbon dioxide emissions. A startup company, spun out of research at Virginia Commonwealth University, is commercializing what it calls a breakthrough in low-cost insulation materials. ThermaGEL Innovations has developed insulation material using aerogels,

09/20/2023

Charlottesville healthy sugar innovator Bonumose raises $2M

Bonumose Inc., a Charlottesville startup specializing in table sugar alternatives, has raised $2 million toward a $10 million funding round after German flavor and fragrances producer Symrise AG signed a minority investment agreement with the company. “The strategic investment from Symrise is part of a larger funding round that will be used for increasing sales,