SXSW EDU 2022 Launch and Student Startup Competition Winners Announced

The 2022 SXSW EDU Conference & Festival is proud to name Our Worlds, Inc. as the winner of this year’s Launch competition and AUesome as the winner for this year’s Student Startup Competition!

Launch Competition

Our Worlds, Inc. has been announced as the winner of the fast-paced live pitch event at SXSW EDU, Launch, presented by Schmidt Futures and the Walton Family Foundation. Our Worlds, Inc. provides place-based, primary source, educational content about Native Americans in Extended Reality 360º throughout the world. The experiences are unique, immersive, and available to anyone with a smartphone. Our Worlds, Inc. provides a portal to the indigenous stories that surround you.

Our Worlds, Inc.
Pala Indian Reservation, CA
We believe every square mile has a story. Our Worlds, Inc. provides place-based, primary source, educational content about Native Americans in Extended Reality 360º throughout the world. The experiences are unique, immersive, and available to anyone with a smartphone. Our Worlds, Inc. provides a portal to the indigenous stories that surround you.

The Launch competition is an opportunity for companies seeking market exposure, investment, and strategic partnerships to showcase their innovative products. This year, six early-stage startups were selected to compete as finalists.

• Affectifi Inc. (Brooklyn, NY)
• Epixego (Berkley, CA)
• IEP & Me (San Francisco, CA)
• Our Worlds, Inc. (Pala Indian Reservation, CA)
• Readlee (Worcester, MA)
• Schoolytics (Washington, DC)

The competition was emceed by Dan Carroll and Craig Narveson, and judged by Riyaz Gayasaddin, Vice President of Camelback Ventures; Liz Dozier, Founder & CEO of Chicago Beyond; and Heejae Lim, Founder & CEO of TalkingPoints. Coaches Amrutha Vasan and Aly Murray signed on to help Launch finalists refine and perfect their pitch.

Student Startup Competition

AUesome has been announced as the winner of the Student Startup Competition, powered by WIT - Whatever It Takes, the Do-Or-Dier Foundation, Diamond Challenge, and Uncharted Learning. AUesome was recognized for its work to make therapy more accessible and affordable for children on the autism spectrum. Their kits, instructional videos, and app simplify the at-home therapy process for parents of children with special needs.

AUesome
Sunnyvale, CA
AUesome LLC is a social enterprise with the mission of bridging the gap between the digital and physical world of at-home therapy for neurodiverse children on the autism spectrum. AUesome consolidates therapy tools and activities into a kit, accompanied by a digital instructional platform, delivering over 210 kits nationally.

The Student Startup competition serves as a platform for high school students to showcase their talents, validate their business ideas, and gain experience. This year, five young entrepreneurs were selected as finalists.

• Accordia Power, LLC. (Cedar Park, TX)
• AUesome (Sunnyvale, CA)
• CorteX Wellness (Dubai, UAE)
• Fia Technologies, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN)
• Guardial (Austin, TX)

The competition was emceed by Sarah Hernholm and Kylie Thorp, and judged by Margarita Geleske, Chief Evangelist of Uncharted Learning and NFP; Zach Hovart, Founder of LIVE A GREAT STORY; and Sam Young, Founder of Rest Vest. Coaches Kimberly Small, Kathy Osborne, Loren Feldman, Alina Morse, and Don Buckley signed on to help Launch finalists refine and perfect their pitch.

Congrats to Our Worlds, Inc. and AUesome!

Photo provided by Tico Mendoza