UH Startups Prepare for Pitch Event

RED Labs Startups to Pitch Ideas on Aug. 2 at 10th Annual Bayou Startup Showcase

By Jessica Navarro & Amanda Sebesta

Students from Bauer College and across the University of Houston will pitch their startup ideas on Aug. 2 to members of Houston’s tech entrepreneurship community at the 10^th annual Bayou Startup Showcase.

The event is a partnership between Bauer College and Rice University and will feature ventures from four accelerators: RED Labs and RED Launch, housed in Bauer College, and Rice University’s OwlSpark and BlueLaunch. It serves as the final element of a 12-week program for RED Labs and OwlSpark founders, who have spent the summer developing their startup concepts in a coworking space within UH Technology Bridge.

At Bayou Startup Showcase, attendees can engage with founders, sign up for pre-orders and buy products, in addition to reviewing pitches from each business. For more information about the event, click here.

Meet the RED Labs & RED Launch Teams

Meet the

RED Labs &

RED Launch Teams

Orbit

Founder: Tejas Patel (BS ‘20)

Startup Statement: People lack the skills, and the confidence, to become consistently profitable stock traders. Orbit is a software (currently a mobile app) that people can download to compete in stock trading competitions and even play for prize money.

Greedy Green

Founders:

Siddhartha Paul, Environmental Engineering, Ph.D. student, University of Houston
Jeladhara Sobhanan, Post-doc, Chemistry, Rice University

Startup Statement: Greedy Green is a carbon‐free urban mining e‐waste recycling company in a budget‐friendly way. Through innovative membrane technology, Greedy Green recovers the raw material recovery from e‐waste while creating new job opportunities, driving both environmental and business sustainability.

Space City Vinyl

Founder: Emilia Fontes, Biology senior

Startup Statement: Space City Vinyl specializes in vinyl wraps for all types of vehicles. It is the perfect alternative to repainting a vehicle. It allows the customer to choose from a wide variety of colors and finishes for a temporary (2‐3 years) change.

First Bite Digital

Founders:

Brian Ariyo, Finance senior
Nicolas O'Brien, Supply Chain Management junior
Philip Qin, Management Information Systems senior
Nick Sun (BBA ’22)

Startup Statement: First Bite Digital is a startup dedicated to empowering local businesses and restaurants by helping them establish a robust online presence. First Bite Digital offered customizable website building and brand development services tailored to each client's needs.

Recognizing the challenges small businesses face in today's digital world, First Bite Digital aims to simplify the process and serve as partners throughout the journey. Beyond creating websites, the startup emphasizes customization and personalization to reflect each brand's identity.

Additionally, the startup guides content creation, search engine optimization, and social media strategy to help businesses stand out online.

Lacey’s Art

Founder: Lacey White, Economics junior

Startup Statement: Lacey White is an artist who paints portraits of shelter dogs to give them a bigger platform to be seen in hopes of getting them adopted. People can buy prints or original artwork on Etsy.

2tinys

Founders:

Amy Lai (BBA ’22)
Lan Lai (BS ’18)

Startup Statement: 2tinys is run by two sisters who design and cut their own stickers at home and sell them on Etsy. They plan on expanding to other stationery items like memo pads and washi tape. Through their stickers, they want to brighten people’s everyday lives and help them make anything and everything into art.

Zoop

Founder: Jenil Monpara, MS Entrepreneurship Candidate

Startup Statement: Zoop is a clean label packaged food brand, with its first category to be Superfood instant smoothie mixes, made from freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, seeds and herbs. It's 100% certified organic, Non-GMO, Vegan, preservative free and free from gluten, refined sugar, additives, and modifiers packed in a single serving sachet.

Venus By Design

Founder: Betul Saytash (BS ‘23)

Startup Statement: Venus By Design is designed with you in mind. From dainty crystal jewelry to statement pieces, everything is handmade with love.

Curio Sweets

Founder: Tiffany Enemuo

Startup Statement: Curio Sweets is a plant-based food manufacturer taking a modern approach to desserts and foods. Our mission is to supply businesses with creations that are environmentally and ethically sustainable without ever sacrificing quality and taste. We carefully decided that our niche focus to fulfill this would be in vegan cookies. A dessert that is in high demand, capable of maintaining its structural and taste integrity without animal products, and that has a naturally extensive shelf life.

We Felt It

Founder: Caroline Shiloh

Startup Statement: We Felt It 3D-prints customized modifications to mobility devices such as canes, walkers and wheelchairs to maximize comfort during use.