Business Grants Awarded To Loudoun Innovation Challenge Winners

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Officials in Loudoun County announced the winners of the 2022 Innovation Challenge this week. Six businesses received grants totaling $150,000.

The winners were recognized during halftime of Loudoun United's final soccer match of the season.

"The quality of applications received this year made judging incredibly difficult, but the winners who rose to the top represent some of the brightest innovators and thought leaders in the county,” Loudoun Economic Development Authority Chair Bernard Mustafa said in a news release. “These winners have applied innovation to their industry and this Challenge is designed to showcase and invest in those fresh ideas.”

The winners came from several categories including Agri-Tech, Information & Communications, Clean Energy, and Highly Specialized Manufacturing. Winners in individual categories received $25,000, a people's choice award winner received $10,000, and the top overall business received $40,000.

Here is the full list of winners by category:

• First Place Winner
  • Award amount: $40,000
  • Birdie Everything
    • Birdie Everything works to improve outdoor experiences for people without relying on chemicals. “We are grateful to everyone who has supported, encouraged, and believed in Birdie Everything,” Robyn James, Owner of Birdie Everything, said in a news release. “Loudoun County has always been an amazing place to invent and grow and this Innovation Challenge investment will go a long way in continuing our growth. Words cannot begin to share how excited and grateful Birdie Everything is."
• Agri-Tech Innovation Winner
  
  • Award amount: $25,000
  • Worm Works
    
    • Worm Works is a composting company that is an alternative to landfills. The company offers a service that takes food and yard wastes and turns it into compost.
• Information and Communications Innovation Winner
  
  • Award amount: $25,000
  • Gigasheet
    • Gigasheet is a data analysis company with its own software to provide insight into large datasets.
• Clean Energy Innovation Winner
  
  • Award amount: $25,000
  • Fuel & Tire Saver Systems Company
    
    • Fuel & Tire Saver Systems Company provides fuel and tire optimization for fleets of vehicles.
• Highly Specialized Manufacturing Innovation Winner
  
  • Award amount: $25,000
  • Firebot
    • Firebot is a residential system designed to extinguish stovetop blazes before they spread.
• People's Choice Award
  • Award amount: $10,000
  • Worm Works

“This was the most competitive Innovation Challenge yet. Looking ahead to next year, our goal is to continue elevating this opportunity by pursuing additional funding, marketing the challenge in creative and inclusive ways, and increasing the exposure for Loudoun innovation,” Small Business and Entrepreneurship Manager Danelle Hayer said in a news release. “Beyond the Innovation Challenge, I look forward to connecting with entrepreneurs at any stage in their growth cycle and helping them find success here in Loudoun.”