Eight new startup business teams were created during the 2023 Startup Factory Monterey Bay held February 3-5, 2023. Micro Home Village & Manufacturing Center was selected as the top team for the weekend.
First place winner: Micro Home Village & Manufacturing Center – To establish affordable housing for low-income communities.
Runners-up:
- Second Place: Tag Along – An app to connect college students for transportation.
- Third Place: GoLocal Rewards – Creates a third-party platform for local businesses to utilize for rewards programs.
The Crowd Favorite Award went to Tag Along
Teams participating in this year’s Startup Weekend were:
- Otter Helping Hands – Anger management app to assist students.
- GoLocal Rewards – Creates a third-party platform for local businesses to utilize for rewards programs.
- Tag Along – An app to connect college students for transportation.
- Gripps – A gym equipment accessory that allows for proper and effective strength training movement. Gripps uses wrist supports and eliminates the need for sharing machine attachments by using small rings to attach directly to exercise equipment.
- The Mothers Alliance – Creating a network of resources to help women in need re-enter the workforce or go back to school to create a better future for our community.
- Micro Home Village & Manufacturing Center – To establish affordable housing for low-income communities.
- Soleil+ – Solar energy sharing, make solar energy more accessible for everyone, make your energy and give back your energy!
- JJ’s Washes – Module auto service.
This was the eleventh year that the Institute for Innovation & Economic Development at Cal State University Monterey Bay hosted this event. Sixty-four (64) participants (both students and community members) signed up for this event, seventeen new business ideas were presented, and eight were selected on Friday, February 3, to work on over the weekend. Fourteen coaches helped these teams develop their business ideas into new startup businesses on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, eight teams pitched to a panel of five judges, which evaluated them on their business model, customer validation, execution, and design.
Sponsors: CSUMB, iiED, Cabrillo College, Hartnell College, (WET Center) Water, Energy and Technology Center (BlueTech Valley), U.S. Economic Development Administration, 1st Capital Bank, & Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
About Startup Factory
Learn how to think, work and build like a startup in a weekend. Startup Factory is an exciting and immersive journey into the world of startups. Over an action-packed three days, you’ll meet the best coaches, investors, co-founders, and sponsors to show you how to get more done faster — and maybe even start that business.
About the host organization, California State University Monterey Bay’s (CSUMB) Institute for Innovation & Economic Development:
The Institute for Innovation and Economic Development (iiED) is an institute of CSUMB’s College of Business. It works collaboratively with other regional organizations to create and support businesses and entrepreneurs, promote inclusivity, community, and ecology, and create prosperity in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties.