The 2021 Arkansas Governor’s Cup has come to a close, and the winners have been crowned.
Held annually by the Arkansas Capital Corporation, the Governor’s Cup is a business plan competition for current full or part-time college students in Arkansas. Now in its 21styear, the Governor’s Cup was held virtually but continued to serve as an entrepreneurship showcase for university and college students.
Arkansas Capital Corporation has announced the winners of the Small Business and the High Growth/Technology competitions
Nivera Solutions, a company from the University of Arkansas, won top prize in the High Growth/Technology category. This team, advised by Sarah Goforth and David Hinton, has developed a coating to adhere to surfaces to present the formation of all ice. This coating uses nanotechnology, and the company aims to “create long-lasting and multifunctional coatings for those needing ice reduction solutions.”
The second and third place winners in the High Growth/Technology category were ReGen Technologies and BalanceMark, respectively. ReGen Technologies, also a University of Arkansas team, has developed a vascular graft to reduce vascular surgery-associated risk and health care costs. The product, SynfoTM, is designed as a ready-to-use, infection-resistant graft.
BalanceMark, a team from Harding University, is a software startup that aims to provide products and medical services for the therapeutic industry. BalanceMark helps therapists assess and treat proprioceptive impairments. The company has one product already – CervWell – that accesses patients’ cervical range of motion, develops treatment plans and reports progress.
In the Small Business category, Simple + Sweet Creamery took the top prize. Headed by Coleman Warren, this company has developed an artisanal ice cream that is locally source and serves the Northwest Arkansas community. The company has developed a COVID-safe delivery model.
The second place winner in the Small Business category was Christ Light Apparel from Central Baptist College, which has developed Christian apparel, specifically hats. The third place winner was Apollo, a company from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, which has created an interactive injury prevention newsletter that targets NCAA level athletes in Arkansas This newsletter contains workout routines, stretches, diet routines and more for athletes who sign up for it.
There were also two Elevator Pitch winners. The winner for the High Growth elevator pitch was Green Greens of the University of Arkansas, and the Small Business elevator pitch winner was Small Talks with the Arkansas School for Math, Sciences and the Arts.
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