Alphalab Gear kicks off its Hardware Cup 2018 with a pitch contest in their home town. In the Mid-Atlantic Regional, hardware startups pitched a panel of judges in order to win cash and a chance to advance to the finals held later this year. The regional winners get $3,000 in cash, and a chance to compete for $50k at the finals.

Here are the companies that competed in the Hardware Cup Mid-Atlantic Regional:

Winner – Velocity Robotic’s Smart Tape Measurers

Brad Kriel, CEO of Velocity Robotics, hold up the winning check for the 2018 Alphalab Gear Mid-Atlantic Regional. Foo Conner | Jekko

Velocity Robotics aims to make Bluetooth enabled tape measurers and saw attachments to provide more accurate cuts for construction sites. Brad Kriel claims their technology is accurate to within 0.04mm. They follow up on how this could save days of construction. Additionally the data they collect could enhance project estimates. Velocity Robotics won the Mid-Atlantic Regional and $3,000 with a pitch that focused on the scaling to new work sites.

Spand-Ice – Back Pain Management via Ice

Helen Behn founder of Spand-Ice pitches at Google Pittsburgh. Foo Conner | Jekko

Helen Behn is a relentless entrepreneur. In the past she’s interviewed with many VC groups and has had her share of passes. At the Hardware Cup she returns with an actualized product and request for funds to scale. Josh Mcelhattan praised her determination as he was one of those VC’s in the past. Her product? Spand-Ice – back pain wraps that help with back pain. Though she didn’t win, she will march forward.

CircaLux – Portable Proximity Lighting

Tim Bober of Circalux pitches to the Mid-Atlantic Hardware Cup Regional at Google Pittsburgh. Foo Conner | Jekko

Circalux is a Bluetooth enabled smart light for hospitals. Their product Circalight is two-fold: One, a proximity sensor that adjust based on your distance. Two, the light decreases blue wave lengths to provide better sleep something similar to f.lux or Redshift. Their pitch was flat, more of a script than a presentation, but the idea has room to grow in the world of sensors and connected devices.

Bounce Imaging – 360° Rugged Cameras

Francisco Aguilar of Bounce Imaging pitches a crowd. Foo Conner | Jekko

Bounce Imaging is what the name implies – a throw-able 360 degree camera. While it has been done before, CEO Francisco Aguilar explains that theirs is military grade with a military price of $2,850 for the base model. Bounce is also very late stage for a contest like this, but used the pitch as a chance to get money to build out their reoccurring cloud services.

Augean Robotics – Your Very Own Wall-E

Charles Andersen of Augean Robotics pitches the Hardware Cup. Foo Conner | Jekko

Augean Robotics is producing robots that follow workers around to carry heavy loads. Their first product, The Burro, is designed to be deployed in farms giving field workers a much needed hand in hauling up to 136.078kg at a time. This is a 21st century pack mule. Eventually Augean hopes to transition to the last mile in delivery for applications on Amazon and USPS delivery.

EXG Wearables

EXGBuds – Up, Down, Left, Right, and Blink. This sensor placed behind your ears allow you to communicate via Bluetooth to phone or a smart home. The early stage sensors were designed for those with disabilities but have greater application. The 3D printed prototypes are still early stage, and EXGWearables hopes to win the next contest to expedite more prototyping.

Boston is next.

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