The Business Innovation Competition (later known as the Charlotte Venture Challenge) was founded in 2001 with the goals of helping early-stage businesses grow (US Based ventures).
Since the first competition, over 100 start-ups have made it to the finals where experts from the community have mentored them. Alumni companies have gone on to raise over US$40 million in venture capital and have continued to gain national and international attention.
This year’s competition awarded $113,500 in prize money and including the $50,000 grand prize from Charlotte-based Vaterra Capital.
Eighteen finalists waited with anticipation for their names to be called as one of the 9 teams to make a final five-minute pitch and respond to rapid-fire questions from the judging panel. Having already competed earlier in the day to determine the category winners the teams now were pitching to win the $50,000 grand prize.
Mobile Potential, PMT’s Emerald distributor in the United States, won a $10,000 prize in the Consumer Products and Services category.
Mobile Potential deploys innovative Services to Distribute Prepaid Airtime and Data Bundles.
Their Airtime Distribution Platform powered by Emerald is integrated into the mobile operator networks’ prepaid billing systems. The platform is capable of issuing and redeeming PINed Airtime vouchers and real-time PINless airtime recharges directly to cell phone networks.
The system can also provide an easy to use interface, e.g. via USSD for independent dealers wanting to earn a living as roving salespeople. This can be a cost effective solution as so expensive capital outlay for a terminal is needed as virtual airtime is directly expensed from a GSM phone.
Scheduled transfers, tiered limit controls and access controls can be set and controlled within the airtime recharge environment, thus effectively eliminating fraudulent transactions, expiry of airtime / loss of airtime stock, and revenue leakage that can occur easily within other systems.
PMT is proud to be associated with such a dynamic partner! To read more about Mobile Potential and to contact their US office, go to http://mobilepotential.com/
Mobile Potential, PMT’s Emerald distributor in the United States, won a $10,000 prize in the Consumer Products and Services category.
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