Six area startups representing a variety of business disciplines will compete for shares of a $100,000 funding pool in the first Auburn Regional Alabama Launchpad finals on Wednesday, April 4 at the ALFA Pavilion at Auburn’s Ag Heritage Park.

Finalists have already endured two rounds of pitch and business plan reviews to reach the “Shark Tank” style finals, which will be judged by industry professionals.

Startups represented in the finals, which begin at 4 p.m., include:

• Beyond Home Care, a personalized non-medical home care solution for elderly and disabled presented by Kelly Adams of Alexander City.
• Tennibot, a robotic tennis ball collector presented by of Haven Barnes of Auburn.
• FoPark, a simplified parking management system presented by Sakthi Kandaswaamy and Parker Roan of Auburn.
• Energy H2O, which specializes in the production of energetic, healthy bottled water, presented by Moses Weaver of Tuskegee.
• InhiProt, a treatment idea for those suffering with multiple myeloma, presented by Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy professor Alexei Kisselev.
• NanoXort, which focuses on the development of safer contrast agents for MRIs, presented by Tareq Anani and Barry Yeh of Auburn.

Admission, which includes networking opportunities, panel discussion, live music and refreshments, is $10 and open to the public. Purchase your Auburn Regional Alabama Launchpad tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/auburn-regional-alabama-launchpad-finale-event-tickets-43441681238.

The competition winner will advance to the statewide finals later this year at a site to be announced.

The Auburn Regional Alabama Launchpad is presented by the Auburn University Harbert College of Business’ Lowder Center for Family Business & Entrepreneurship, the City of Auburn, Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, and the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. BBVA Compass served as the event’s title sponsor. The region includes Lee, Tallapoosa, Macon, Chambers and Russell counties.

The regional event is one of several entrepreneurship-focused events being hosted by the Harbert College. The college will host the fourth annual Auburn University Entrepreneurship Summit April 5-6 at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. The summit will kick off with the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame awards gala Thursday at 6 p.m. and continue Friday with the Junior Tiger Cage pitch competition for high school students at 8:30 a.m., the $50,000 Tiger Cage pitch competition finals for Auburn University student entrepreneurs at 9:30 and the Top Tigers awards honoring the fastest-growing Auburn alumni-led companies at 11:30. The keynote speaker for the Top Tigers luncheon will be Salt Life President Jeff Stillwell, a 1988 Auburn business graduate.

Tickets for the Hall of Game gala and Top Tigers luncheon can be purchased at: https://secure.touchnet.net/C20021_ustores/web/classic/store_cat.jsp?STOREID=155&CATID=456&SINGLESTORE=true