FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- Five entrepreneurs competed in a pitch contest Thursday (Oct. 12) to show of their creations and receive feedback from successful business owners.
The event called "Get Started NW Arkansas" was designed for startups to pitch their ideas for a chance to win an $11,500 prize from Cox Business, the host of the contest.
Included in the prize package was $7,500 cash, $2,000 worth of Cox service and another $2,000 in Cox Media marketing.
Bucket Technologies, a platform which integrates existing point of sale (POS) systems to facilitate coinless cash transactions at retail locations, left the contest a winner. The company will allow people to use their change without physically needing coins, while also being economically and environmentally friendly.
According to Bucket's website, the system "captures all of the value of coins while eliminating the need to physically move them."
The five finalists covered a wide variety of ideas.
Twelve-year-old Sofi Overton created leggings and socks designed for kids to give them a "safe" and "stylish" way to store items, like a phone or inhaler. Overton was chosen as the runner-up.
One business pitched an affordable way to access stored solar power. You wouldn't need solar panels on your property.
Another provided college football fans with a parking app that allows them to find parking spaces, or connect with property owners who have space for fans to park.