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App takes top honors at FAU's annual business plan competition [The Palm Beach Post, Fla.]
[April 12, 2013]

App takes top honors at FAU's annual business plan competition [The Palm Beach Post, Fla.]


(Palm Beach Post (FL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) April 13--BOCA RATON -- A company that aims to turn students' smartphones into emergency-warning systems took top honors in Florida Atlantic University's annual business plan competition Friday.



The app designed by Stadson Technology of Boca Raton is like a high-tech flare, said Matthew Hudson, an FAU senior and president of the company. In an emergency, the phone would help police pinpoint a student's location and even send audio and video feeds.

"It's an instant link for students and faculty to campus police," Hudson said.


For winning the student category of FAU's contest, Stadson Technology gets $15,000 cash and $40,000 in services.

The student-run company already is operating from FAU's research park, and Hudson said he's negotiating with one school to offer the app to students and teachers. The company would make money by charging schools for its app.

"I'd love to see this in every teacher's pocket," Hudson said.

Stadson Technology was one of eight start-ups run by FAU students that presented pitches Friday.

The contest also included a category open to any entrepreneur who wanted to enter. That division was won by AspireEDU, an Orlando-based tech company that has designed an algorithm for alerting for-profit schools when students are in danger of dropping out of online courses.

AspireEDU also collected $15,000 and $40,000 in services.

Other winners include LYVLY, a video-sharing app run by former FAU football player Michael Hancock, and Arctico Holdings, a company that has designed a system for purifying the ice served in cocktails at high-end bars and restaurants.

At Friday's competition, contestants presented their ideas, then were peppered with questions by judges. The ideas ranged across a variety of topics and industries, but technology and health were common themes. Pitches included a sugar-free sports drink and gluten-free frozen foods.

Stadson's pitch seemed especially timely, with the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., still fresh in judges' minds.

"This is my passion and heart, to be able to save people's lives with technology," Hudson said.

He called Friday's prize a good start as his company aims to ramp up marketing of its app.

"It was a great win," he said, "but we are going for $1 million." ___ (c)2013 The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.) Visit The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.) at www.palmbeachpost.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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