Arkansas Capital Corp. of Little Rock and its affiliate, the Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation, announced Thursday 20 teams from nine Arkansas universities have advanced to the final rounds of the annual Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition.
Thirty-seven business plans were submitted for this year’s competition, reviewed by 36 judges from who met in this week for final deliberations.
Teams were judged in several areas, including viability of their products/services; their proposed management teams; potential competitors in the marketplace; possible critical risks to their businesses; and financials, including proposed cash flows, income statements, a balance sheet, and funds required for startup/operation.
Rush Deacon, CEO of Arkansas Capital Corp., noted that the judges expressed more difficulty than usual due to the high quality of the plans that were submitted.
“Our preliminary round judges met in groups of six and were charged with deciding the top two teams who would move forward among the five plans they reviewed,” Deacon said in a news release. “In virtually all of the groups the second team selected was literally a hairline over the third place team, and in three cases, the fourth team was a hairline away from the third.”
All oral presentation rounds will take place at the Little Rock Marriott conference center on Thursday, March 31 and Friday, April 1.
The winners of the competition will be announced at the Governor’s Cup Awards Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, in the Wally Allen Ballroom of the Statehouse Convention Center.
The 20 semi-finalist and finalist teams moving forward to oral presentations on March 31 and April 1 are (alphabetical, by category):
Overall Undergraduate Division Semi-Finalists
- AGcorp, Ouachita Baptist University
- BladeTech, Harding University
- Dibs Dates, John Brown University
- Drone Surveying Solutions, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- EcoForYou, Hendrix College
- FindMyWine, John Brown University
- Natural State Bedding Co., John Brown University
- PubHub, University of Arkansas
- Short-Bow, University of Central Arkansas
- Sit ‘N Go, Harding University
- Sobek, John Brown University
- The Helping Hand, Harding University
2016 Overall Graduate Division Finalists
- Actio Systems, University of Arkansas
- deciLvl, University of Arkansas
- Demetrix, Hendrix College
- NuPhase Solutions, University of Arkansas
- NuShores Bone Regeneration, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- VivImmune, University of Arkansas
2016 Agriculture Division Finalists
- AGcorp, Ouachita Baptist University
- Beyond Critical, Arkansas State University
- deciLvl, University of Arkansas
- Demetrix, Hendrix College
- Drone Surveying Solutions, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- EcoForYou, Hendrix College
- Natural State Bedding Co., John Brown University
2016 Innovation Division Finalists – Undergraduate
- Beyond Critical, Arkansas State University
- Natural State Bedding Co., John Brown University
- VIR Technologies, Arkansas Tech University
2016 Innovation Division Finalists – Graduate
- deciLvl, University of Arkansas
- NuShores Bone Regeneration, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- VivImmune, University of Arkansas
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