Ga Tech Grads Win $10K Entrepreneur Video Competition

Atlanta startup TOHL, which has developed methods to quickly install water transport infrastructure for humanitarian applications, won Start Up Atlanta’s $10,000 Entrepreneur Video Competition as announced by Mayor Kasim Reed at Venture Atlanta on Wednesday.

While pipelines are traditionally installed in short segments, a process that requires large amounts of time, money and labor, TOHL – which stands for Tubing Operations for Humanitarian Logistics – has created a technique to install long segments of water pipeline quickly via a helicopter.

TOHL was started by four Georgia Tech graduates as the entrepreneurial engineers are creating practical solutions for society's grand challenges. Bringing complementary backgrounds and skills to the business, the foursome have been working together to bring water to all.

“TOHL represents the best of Atlanta’s entrepreneurial spirit and I applaud this company for its pioneering technology,” Reed told Venture Atlanta attendees at the Georgia Aquarium. “As Georgia’s premier technology innovation event, Venture Atlanta not only positions some of our top innovators in front of investors, it also injects vital energy into our city’s businesses and startups.”

Contestants were challenged to share how their company could change the world and what they like most about being in Atlanta. The competition was introduced at the launch of Start Up Atlanta in August. You can watch the winning video here.

TOHL recently placed 1 kilometer of pipeline in mountainous terrain in Chile and launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $30,000 for its next phase of development.

Start Up Atlanta is one of Invest Atlanta’s initiatives to make the city nationally and internationally recognized for entrepreneurship. Its main goal is to introduce, connect, support and expand the entrepreneurial, investment and talent ecosystem within all industries of Atlanta and the surrounding region.

“We launched Start Up Atlanta back in August and since then, this initiative has had a tremendous effect on strengthening the entrepreneur ecosystem and leading the charge in putting the city on the map as a dynamic economic center for entrepreneurs,” said Reed, who serves as chairman of Invest Atlanta.

Start Up Atlanta offers a web-based platform that visually maps out valuable resources to entrepreneurs, including incubators, accelerators and service providers. Additionally, the platform boasts a support network for those launching a start-up or building a business in Atlanta.

All the contending videos were shown at Venture Atlanta, Georgia’s technology innovation event, where Georgia’s top technology innovators met with the country’s top-tier investors. As the state’s largest investor showcase, Venture Atlanta connects Georgia’s entrepreneurs with venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors and others who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual event is a collaboration of three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).

In addition to the $10,000 cash prize, TOHL will receive a year subscription to iMeet from PGi.