Six Connecticut Startups Take Home a Total of $54,000 at the CTNext Entrepreneur Innovation Awards in Stamford

ROCKY HILL, Conn., Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- CTNext, Connecticut's go-to resource for entrepreneurial support, awarded $54,000 in grants to six Connecticut-based startups at the Entrepreneur Innovation Awards (EIA) on Thursday, September 13, at Old Town Hall in Stamford. The EIA is CTNext's Shark Tank?style pitch event where Connecticut startups and entrepreneurs compete for grants that can be applied toward a specific project that will help accelerate growth.

The winning companies and prize amounts were:

• Actively AI ($10,000) - Creating an automated assistant for wellness businesses that handles customer experience and streamlines operations for staff
• Dualflo ($10,000) - Creating a self-seal technology to eliminate the need for open surgery in cardiopulmonary bypass procedures
• Encapsulate ($10,000) - Producing an effective chemotherapy solution with a fully automated tumor-on-a-chip pre-prescription analysis
• Encaptiv ($10,000) - Developing a web-based presentation, sales and marketing software that integrates AI and machine learning
• Kolb Consultants ($12,000) - Developing a process to manufacture "Ray-Board," a kickboard with a new shape that distributes the body weight evenly when swimming
• VigorSential ($2,000) - Developing and testing "MycoZaps," a low-dose vaccine to control Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis), a bacterium mainly affecting cattle that is resistant to common antibiotics

Kolb Consultants won the $2,000 crowd favorite award, while VigorSential took home the $2,000 award for judges' favorite.

"The EIA continues to provide Connecticut's startups with an opportunity to showcase their innovations and take home grant dollars to help complete an innovative project," said Glendowlyn Thames, executive director of CTNext. "As usual, all competitors involved put forth impressive presentations. We applaud them for their efforts and thank the judges for their participation."

About CTNext
CTNext is Connecticut's go-to resource for entrepreneurial support. The goal of the program is to build a more robust community of entrepreneurs and to accelerate startup growth by providing access to talent, space, industry expertise, services, skill development and capital to foster innovation and create jobs for people in Connecticut. CTNext launched in 2012 and has more than 2,500 members in its network. To learn more, visit http://www.ctnext.com.

SOURCE CTNext