A Raleigh, North Carolina-based health care startup took home a first-place prize of $20,000 at this year’s
Summerfest Tech Pitch Competition.
Lavni Inc., founded by
Marcus King, aims to combat the stigma surrounding mental health care by connecting individuals in underserved communities with mental health professionals. Offering a unique avatar feature, clients can access an extra level of comfort and anonymity in their therapy sessions. Lavni also provides an AI-enabled notes feature that allows clinicians to generate session notes in just 10 minutes, significantly reducing time spent on administrative tasks.
Two Wisconsin startups took home second and third place prizes. Second place was Madison-based
RedFox AI and third place was Milwaukee-based
AfroCharts. The second-place prize was $10,000 while the third-place prize was $5,000.
RedFox AI, founded by
Nick Myers, has created a conversational AI program accessible from any smartphone. The program helps guide patients through their at-home diagnostic test or using an at-home medical device. RedFox gives users instructions verbally and helps them troubleshoot issues.
AfroCharts, created by
Leonard Novati, is a music streaming platform that connects listeners with artists from all around the world, but has an emphasis on artists from Africa. AfroCharts was also named the inaugural Summerfest Tech Hometown Winner and awarded an additional $5,000.
The other Summerfest Tech Pitch Competition finalists included New York City-based
Cookie Langs, Inc.; Green Bay-based
AppEase LLC; Milwaukee-based
Wellacy Health; and Wauwatosa-based
CrossKudi. Each company won $2,500.
The competition was sponsored by Molson Coors.
"At Molson Coors, we are deeply committed to fostering the growth of aspiring leaders in emerging tech and entrepreneurship. By providing a platform for local and national entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas, this competition rewards their hard work, creativity and dedication to solving critical challenges,” said
Jonah Turner, head of emerging tech at Molson Coors. "Each year, the caliber of innovative ideas and talent the startups bring to the pitch competition never fails to impress us. We are excited to witness Lavni’s journey and how this funding will pave the way for new opportunities and successes.”
