Dr. Ayyappan Subbiah and Ian Mitchell of Sarvam Solutions, Inc. were selected as first-place winners of this year’s Build Bartlesville Innovative Ideas competition, which was announced during a March 14 awards ceremony.
Sarvam Solutions, Inc. was awarded $10,000 in seed grant funds for the continued development of their business, which has developed a product that increases the health span of companion pets by enhancing mitochondrial function at the cellular level.
“The additional funding from winning the contest will help us to achieve our goals and raise awareness about our company and its products,” said Mitchell.
Sarvam Solutions, Inc. is in the initial stage of establishing a production process and will be leveraging the funds to enhance the manufacturing capabilities of their current laboratory and production facility.
“This program is a wonderful opportunity for young and growing Bartlesville businesses to gain visibility,” said Ayyappan Subbiah. “We are thankful to Innovation Center, and the Bartlesville Development Corporation for bringing so many dreamers together.”
This is the third year for the competition. The competition emerged through the RSU Innovation Center’s Business Solutions Committee, which sought to use the Innovative Ideas competition to spur innovation and produce new startups or expand existing small businesses in the Bartlesville area. In the first two years, the competition has provided nearly $20,000 to Bartlesville startups.
This year’s Build Bartlesville competition kicked off in January as a part of Dream Big Oklahoma with a call for entries followed by an online voting period. Four finalists advanced through the online popular vote and an independent review to compete for a panel of judges which included David Wood, president of Bartlesville Development Corporation; Lori Roll, President of Phoenix Insurance; and Hank Hamilton, of Central National Bank.
The Build Bartlesville program’s mission is dedicated to the entrepreneurial spirit of small business start-ups and the expansion of existing small business in the Bartlesville area. One of the goals of the competition was to bring new revenue to the community rather than compete for existing revenues already coming into the community.
“There is an entire spectrum of entrepreneurship,” said Jeri Koehler, Director of the RSU Innovation Center. “The goal of Dream Big Oklahoma is to serve the risk takers in our community. Through this statewide push to encourage entrepreneurship, small business startups and existing businesses are partnered with service providers who can support their strategic and sustainable growth.”
The Build Bartlesville innovative ideas competition is a collaboration between Rogers State University and the Bartlesville Development Corporation. Area sponsors include Truity Credit Union and RCB Bank.
For more information on the winning company visit, http://www.sarvam.us/.
For more information, visit DreamBigOklahoma.com