Five metro Atlanta companies compete for $35,000 in grants
August 29, 2016 9:37 pm
Patrick Adcock
The 2016 Atlanta Metro Export Challenge announced their top five finalists Aug. 20 as part of the JPMorgan Chase-powered Atlanta Metro Export Plan (MEP) grant program designed to help small and medium-sized businesses begin or expand their exporting programs.
Narrowed down from a pool of 14 semifinalists who had previously won $5,000 grants, these five companies will be part of a public voting phase, beginning Aug. 22 and ending Sept. 14. The top three finalists to emerge will move on to a final judging phase and compete to receive a combined $35,000 in additional grants to further increase their export strategies.
A panel of judges comprised of executives from export assistance agencies and local exporting companies chose the top five companies through a “Shark Tank” style semifinals competition. To become one of the top five, each semifinalist gave a presentation on how they leveraged the initial grant to increase their exports. The companies also showcased their exportable product or service and shared a business plan detailing how they will use the additional grant funds.
Through a combination of the judges’ decisions and a public voting phase, the top three contenders will receive $20,000 (1st Place), $10,000 (2ndPlace) and $5,000 (3rd Place).
The top five finalists include:
Rich Cavagnaro
Zaheer Furuqi (left) Talha Furuqi (right)
Aventure Aviation – The father and son team of Zaheer and Talha Furuqi hope to bring their leading aftermarket aviation parts to places around the world, such as China and Ireland, as well as increase visibility of the Aventure Aviation brand internationally.
Suman Das
DDM Systems – Presented by Founder and CEO Suman Das, DDM is a startup specializing in 3D printing materials used in jet engines. DDM’s primary goal with the grant money is to expand awareness of their patented technology into European markets.
Kevin Jameson
Karol Hatzilias
The Judges:
From left to right: Michael Weiss (president and CEO, The WorkingBuildings), Yelena Epova (partner, Habif, Arogeti & Wynn), Tom Strauss (southern regional director, U.S. Department of Commerce), Mary Waters (deputy commissioner of international trade, Georgia Department of Economic Development), and Jeff Lamb (president, OptiLedge LLC).
Visit the MEP Challenge website to place your vote for the companies.
