Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Bio-plastics startup wins Lighthouse Labs pitch contest

//June 28, 2022//

Bio-plastics startup wins Lighthouse Labs pitch contest

//June 28, 2022//

While pitching to the sharks, entrepreneur Alec Brewer told them, “I do have white powder in my pocket,” before quickly clarifying that it wasn’t an illicit substance: “It’s PHB! It’s PHB!”

The co-founder and CEO of Charlottesville-based biodegradable plastics manufacturer Ourobio, Brewer explained that his company makes PHB, or polyhydroxybutyrate, from waste in order to reduce microplastics pollution. Ourobio converts whey into PHB through a biochemical process.

Ourobio was voted “ favorite” out of nine entrepreneurs in Richmond business ‘ 2022 spring cohort that pitched to four business leaders as part of the accelerator’s biannual Demo Day May 24. Ourobio received $1,500 from sponsor ThinkNimble and will have naming rights to a tagged great white shark that Lighthouse Labs is sponsoring.

Founded in 2012, Lighthouse Labs is a mentor-driven nonprofit accelerator that runs two, 12-week cohort sessions each year, investing $20,000 equity-free in six to 10 early-stage . Entrepreneurs accepted into the program receive mentorship and education on scaling up their businesses. Lighthouse Labs has accelerated more than 80 companies during the last 10 years, providing more than $1.6 million in equity-free funding. The Demo Day is the grand finale event for each cohort.

Llamawood CEO Hunter Garen won the audience vote in the Demo Day competition; for his prize, he was given the privilege of throwing the first pitch at a Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game.

While the same may not be true for his throwing arm,  Garen started his business pitch with a flourish, tossing postcards with coupon codes into the first few rows. Llamawood connects firewood suppliers and purchasers.

“I designed for a woman … because, as they say, women’s standards are much higher than men’s, so if you design for a woman, you’ll make every man happy,” Garen joked when telling the sharks about his customer demographics.

Sharks judging the competition were: Ajay Kori of UrbanStems and Novilla Pharmaceuticals; Claire Herring of Blue Ocean Brain; Richard Wintsch of Startup Virginia; and Joy Polefrone with VCU Health.

Also pitching at the competition were founders of Richmond-based beauty company LipLoveLine; Philadelphia-based software manufacturer Viora Health; Fort Belvoir-based health tech company Kinometrix Inc.; Philadelphia-based health care tech firm Hoth Intelligence; Richmond-based Nessle, which operates an online platform for expectant  parents; Austin, Texas-based tech firm On-Time Trials; and Houston-based health care tech company CaseCTRL. 

t
YOUR NEWS.
YOUR INBOX.
DAILY.

By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy.