Boosting Businesses
RED Labs Teams to Pitch Their Business Ideas at
July 31 Bayou Startup Showcase
University of Houston innovators will take their ideas to the main stage later this month for the annual Bayou Startup Showcase.
The event is a collaboration between the University of Houston and Rice University, bringing together two startup accelerators: RED Labs (housed within the C. T. Bauer College of Business at UH) and OwlSpark.
As a part of the RED Labs Summer Accelerator, 10 teams consisting of UH students, faculty and alumni have spent several weeks developing their business or business idea ahead of the pitch showcase on July 31.
The teams are focusing on a variety of different business sectors, all looking to make an impact in Houston and beyond.
P-LEGS
P-LEGS was created to help children with mobility impairments. The robotic exoskeleton is for children ages 4 to 8 and works to help rehabilitate them to mobility. The group worked with Memorial Hermann physical therapists, who would be the ones using P-LEGS to give the children rehabilitation.
“This is a technology that brings a lot of benefit to society,” said Jesus Rodriguez, who is pursuing his master’s degree in computer engineering. “Our team doesn’t seek money; we’re very much interested in bringing the change to the people who want the change, and who this would impact.”
Brain Haven
Brain Haven is a health and wellness startup, with a focus on developing sensory stimulation, wellness and therapy products. In order to improve brain and cognitive function, the group has a focus on olfactory, or smell, stimulation.
“We’re excited to pitch this because we will be one of the first to bridge this gap in olfactory research,” said incoming optometry student Gail Aflalo. “Most other sensory stimulations tend to go for the other senses that are more objective, but we’re trying to bridge this gap.”
Spinal Cord Computer Interface
Spinal Cord Computer Interface is developing a software solution to help people with spinal cord injuries be able to walk again. SCCI will be non-invasive, pain-free and drug-free. Currently, SCCI is in a testing phase with people with spinal cord injuries. The team is most excited about helping spinal cord injured people and wheelchair users.
“We are already in the phase where we are testing with spinal cord patients,” said electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. student Debolina Das. “And once we have all the results ready, we might be able to work on the business.”
Stayzy
Stayzy is an AI-powered platform that aims to help short-term rentals automate their guest messaging. The platform is designed for people who own multiple properties who aren’t able to respond to all customer concerns at once. Stayzy’s goal is to help these owners avoid poor reviews and lost bookings. The idea for the platform came after founder Sunay Panda, a computer science senior, was trying to book an Airbnb after a storm last year but couldn’t reach anyone.
“I did the market research, and it turns out it is a problem, because it turns out if someone owns 20 properties, it’s impossible for them to text everyone at the same time. So that’s where the idea started. I’ve worked on it for a few months and spoken to people. I'm in beta testing now, so it’s been a really interesting journey.”
JobRadar
Applying for a job? JobRadar is working to push you through to the interview stage. After networking and referrals, recruiters are looking for someone who is applying quickly after the position is posted, explained JobRadar founder and computer science senior Ross Rezvani. The startup pulls jobs directly from company career portals and automatically applies job seekers to the role immediately after the job is posted, putting them first in line to get that interview.
“I think applying to jobs is something that a lot of people struggle with,” Rezvani said. “There’s so many aspects to it, and there’s so much advice out there when it comes to tuning your résumé or how to make yourself appear better in front of recruiters and all that, but really all it comes down to is just applying as soon as a job gets posted.”
Roll ‘N’ Reel Photo Booth
Roll ‘N’ Reel Photo Booth wants to help you capture memories to last well after an event. The event service rental business provides photo booths for corporate events, parties, birthdays, quinceañeras and more. The photo booths have interactive setups to engage guests.
“Just excited from the student perspective to have the platform and opportunity to pitch in front of a large group of individuals,” said Phillip Traylor, a master’s in finance student. “Secondarily, from the business side of things, exposure, so the photo booth business or event service rental business is like a sales and marketing game, so just the more people that are aware of our product and our offering, the better.”
Bleed Art and Development
Bleed is an art organization with the goal of uplifting artists and helping them commercialize their practice. The organization sells prints and original art, all with the focus of elevating local artists’ practices and providing them with a stream of income.
“It’s sometimes difficult for people to see the value in art or see why it’s important to invest in it, so I think BLEED is really trying to emphasize that we should be adding value to local artists here in Houston,” finance senior Anahi Yeverino said.
Stage Select
Stage Select is a supplementary booking service to assist venues with multiple stages. Essentially serving as a matchmaker for stages, Select Stage helps pair local musicians to perform at a venue’s secondary stage, while a more mainstream artist of the same genre is performing at the venue’s main stage. This maximizes the venue’s space and aims to increase local turnout.
“We feel like this is really something that is missing in the live music scene here in Houston,” finance alumnus Alexander Rizk said. “I feel like it’s something that could really help artists as well as venues both, so I think it’s a very innovative idea that needs some light shed on it.”
Candi Wands
In some family-friendly fun, Candi Wands provides automated cotton candy machines, with a focus on serving kids. The engaging experience not only provides fun for the families but also creates a source of revenue for entertainment venues.
“This is relatively new equipment or machines, so I’d like to spread the word out to the Houston community that we are here, and we are ready to provide fun for families,” UH alumna Angela Lian said.
ChérieCollectible
Labubu lovers, this next one is for you. ChérieCollectible hosts markets and events targeted for young collectors to buy, sell and trade modern collectables. These events also give vendors a targeted customer base for their booths. So far, ChérieCollectible has been hosting markets in boba shops, but has plans for a larger event in August in downtown Houston.
“Collectibles are just something that brings a lot of joy to everyone, especially the people at my events,” said marketing and entrepreneurship junior Ansley Brown. “The biggest goal is to spread joy to them. Hopefully, more people can learn about these things and events and find a space to go and make friends and just bond over the shared love of collectibles.”
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