Buffalo startups made a great showing in the recent 43North business plan competition, with two area companies among the 16 finalists competing for eight cash prizes during a daylong pitch contest that will take place on Oct. 5. More than 500 businesses from around the world applied for entrance into the competition.
Burner Fitness is an online fitness, nutrition, and health program marketplace where personal trainers, nutritionists, doctors, and health or wellness experts can create, publish, and sell their programs, which are then accessible to users on the Burner Fitness application. Burner also provides users with free tools to track diet and exercise, determine optimal caloric intake and nutrients for the users’ goals, and gamify the experience to motivate users. Each program has a community of users, competing for and sharing results.
Cellular Preservation Technologies is a medical device company focused on applying their unique technology for the preservation of human cells across multiple cell and tissue types. Their initial focus is on the preservation of blood platelets, where there is a high degree of product waste due to their short shelf-life (4-5 days).
In addition to the $1 million grand prize, the runner-up will get $650,000 and the third-place finisher will receive $550,000. Five other companies will get $500,000 prizes. Winners also receive incubator space, expert mentorship, and 10 years of freedom from state taxes, as well as access to the resources and infrastructure of Buffalo, N.Y.