Join us for the Ninth Annual Bayou Startup Showcase on Wednesday, August 3, from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Saint Arnold Brewing Company inside the Beer Hall. This annual event is a celebration of entrepreneurship, the newest startups and small businesses from Rice University and University of Houston accelerators, and the community that champions them.
The showcase features 24 companies from our four accelerators: RED Labs, OwlSpark, RED Launch and BlueLaunch. You will be able to engage with these businesses, sign up for pre-orders, and buy products at their booths. Teams have recorded their pitches for you to learn about them in advance, watch during the event, or review afterward. RSVP now to receive updates and get early access to pitch videos, and confirm your spot at the event.
Pitch Videos: Sneak Peek!
Meet the Startups & Small Businesses
OwlSpark & RED Labs Class 10 • RED Launch & BlueLaunch Class 1
BakedBones®
BlueLaunch
Brantley Highfill & Chris Steward
BakedBones helps pet parents share the benefits of CBD with their dogs. Our recipes combine organic farming, human-grade ingredients, and the best full-spectrum hemp to “Bake Dogs Happy”.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you are a food chemist, a buyer for our local pet industry, or a marketer experienced in the nuances of cannabis, please stop by our table, we’d love to meet you. Try a sample and share your experience by tagging us @BakedBones on Instagram.
Be-Leaf
RED Labs
Terrance Sowell
Be-Leaf is a vertical farming company that utilizes farming techniques such as hydroponics and aeroponics to grow agriculture vertically and locally to inefficiencies in traditional farming chains.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We want to talk with experts who know the industry and technology that will be implemented in our vertical farming model.
Blyss
OwlSpark
Hunter Hanley & Alana Stull
Blyss is building a dating app that matches you and safely coordinates your ideal date.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Stop by our booth to pre-register for the app and sign up to be a beta tester. We’re also looking for professionals who have experience in go-to-market strategy, backend development leads, and crowdfunding expertise.
CareDB
RED Labs
Aroob Sheikh
CareDB is a software that notifies parents that their adult children in college have been arrested without tracking the child’s location.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Moving forward, we’re looking to increase sign-ups through our website, as well as looking for advisors with experience in automation.
Design by Nikolais
RED Launch
Nikolais Garcia
We are a design service specializing in brand identity packages and creative services for small businesses seeking modern, typographic design.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Follow our social media for updates on client work and our other creative services. We are also seeking a creative professional to advise us on growing our client base.
endoME
RED Labs
Niklesh Karan, Tareen Kazi & Rajpiraveen Parthiban
endoME is a discrete waistband, worn under clothes to manage the pain associated with menstrual cramps.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We would like to speak to women who want to take a natural approach to cramps, as well as femtech enthusiasts and device manufacturers.
ExoBraced
RED Labs
Mohammadmehdi Mortazavi
ExoBraced has launched their first product, ExoBak. ExoBak is a brace that prevents the user from making unnatural twists or bends and by assisting users back to their natural posture.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We would like to be connected with professionals in the physical therapy field and professionals in the plastic mass production field and those who are familiar with traction strategies.
Flumos
BlueLaunch
Louis Noel
Flumos creates fire fountains from aluminum and glass for high-end residential and commercial landscaping and patios.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
My initial sales strategy hinges on partnerships. I would appreciate introductions to key individuals and companies in landscaping, architecture, and construction.
HealthiVisits
RED Launch
Hadil Elldakli
HealthiVisits creates short story books to encourage and educate children about their doctor visits.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Follow us and tag us on Instagram and TikTok @healthivisits to stay updated on new upcoming books and share with family and friends.
Highland Bell
BlueLaunch
Ashley McTaggart
Highland Bell offers sophisticated university glassware featuring the iconic architectural renderings of beloved universities.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Shop our Rice University, Ole Miss, and University of Houston glasses at the Showcase. We’re seeking a local supplier that can print glasses and drop ship printed glasses, and seeking mentors knowledgeable in scaling.
Paige & Demi
BlueLaunch
Emily Reichenbach
Paige & Demi is a full service organization company that brings sustainable organization methods and solutions to any space in your home, office, or beyond.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Visit our website to book a free consultation, follow @paigeanddemi on Instagram for helpful tips and inspiration, or reach out to connect. We are eager to meet clients, realtors, builders, partners, friends, and organization enthusiasts. Allow Paige & Demi to help you make space for the important things in life.
PB & Chicken
OwlSpark
Sarah Wang
PB & Chicken designs wrestling shoes for women, by women, providing comfort, quality, and performance—a staple in any wrestler’s arsenal.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
I need help refining my prototype for manufacturing, and I am seeking expert advisors in shoe design and the manufacturing process.
Populus
RED Labs
Yash Aggarwal, Aditya Bhatia, Himanshu Biradar, Naga Kuruvada, Abhishek Sambaraj
Populus is a unique fantasy sports app that works like the stock market. The result is a skill-based, not luck-based, sports betting phone app.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you want to invest in your favorite players and teams, download Populus Trading in the App Store right now. It’s your chance to BE THE MVP.
Real Demarco
RED Launch
Luna Demarco
DemTags by Real Demarco are a line of shoelery (shoe jewelry), attachable, laser-cut acrylic sneaker tags.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Stop by my booth to purchase your own sneaker tags or to put in a custom order for your company. Moving forward, we are seeking advisors to help with wholesale retail.
Sapling Jobs
OwlSpark
Kaushik Immadisetty & Shreyans Pagariya
Sapling Jobs trains and connects college students in India with US entrepreneurs for part-time remote work in web development, graphic design, and social media marketing.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
For the entrepreneurs out there, if any of you have any projects that need outsourcing—we’d love to get on a call, understand your needs, and find the perfect match for you within a week.
SmartSoft
RED Labs
Kelvin Caducoy, Ever Chavez, Kyle Cortez, Caleb Hairston, Cecilia Obami
SmartSoft is creating a reliable and portable medical device, helping elderly patients keep track of their vitals to spot health concerns early.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We are looking for medical professionals who have experience with point-of-care systems, such as primary care physicians, geriatricians, and cardiologists.
Starfire Vintage
BlueLaunch
Ally Purugganan
Starfire Vintage is a vintage clothing resale and personal styling business, bringing your look to life with one-of-a-kind sustainable outfits.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Follow me on Instagram and TikTok @starfirevintage, visit my booth to check out my vintage apparel, and pick up a free sticker. If you have connections to high schoolers or young adults looking to enhance their wardrobe, please come chat with me at my booth.
SWITCH
OwlSpark
Rima Lancelin
SWITCH is building an edtech platform that matches economically disadvantaged high school students with businesses to fill entry-level positions with diverse candidates, lowering company turnover, and providing long-term career opportunities.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
SWITCH is looking to fill out our team with technical members. We need programmers and developers to help us continue building our VR simulation.
Tarel Laboratory
BlueLaunch
Nasha Wanichwecharungruang
Backed by over a decade of research, Tarel Laboratory creates skincare products at the intersection of science and affordability. We help treat and maintain skin health without the side effects of conventional products.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you have connections with retail stores, come chat with me at my booth. We’re also looking for people to join our team. If you are or know professionals in the skin care industry, we’d love to discuss opportunities.
Thy Words
RED Launch
Ai-Ling Kuon
Thy Words creates meaningful faith-based artwork that empowers you to share the word and spread the love. We donate 25% of profits to world missions.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Please stop by our table to buy prints, cards, and mugs. You will also have the opportunity to enter our giveaway to win two prints of your choice. Follow us on Instagram @thy.words to stay connected.
Vegan Sweet Spot
RED Launch
Neziah Bowers
The only spot around where every dessert on the menu is both vegan and gluten-free.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Stop by our table to try some of our delicious cookies. If you are a restaurant, store, or coffee shop interested in carrying our products, connect with us today. Follow us on Instagram @VeganSweetSpot_htx.
VentOwl
RED Launch
Zubaid Khan
We help individuals who want to start their own business or side hustle get educated through interactive blueprints that walk through the process of launching a drop shipping business.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Follow us on Instagram @WeAreVentOwl. Sign up for our newsletter to learn more about giveaways, discounts, and new information products. We are also looking to expand into different business models such as SEO or affiliate marketing. If you fit that criteria, come speak with us.