DALLAS, Nov. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Comerica Bank and the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) announced Rollout, Inc. as the winner of their inaugural $50,000 North Texas Business Pitch Contest. Four local celebrity judges helped decide the grand prize winner from the field of four finalists, which also included local companies Glass Media (Dallas, TX), LiveWire (Fort Worth, TX), and XOcur (Irving, TX), at a live pitch event hosted at the DEC on Thursday evening, November 20, 2014.
"For the first year of this contest, the number of viable submissions, the ways these start-ups marketed themselves and the amount of social media voting we received were all quite impressive," said Trey Bowles, Co-Founder & CEO of the DEC. "The four finalists all did a great job at pitching their business ideas. Our contest injected $50,000 into Rollout, Inc. at the inflection point of its business, helping push it to the next level in its development. Along with Comerica Bank, we look forward to growing this contest, its reach and impact moving forward."
Rollout, Inc., the $50,000 winner, is a Dallas-based technology start-up whose patent-pending, cloud-based digital drawing management product aims to eliminate the need for architecture, engineering and construction firms to print paper blueprints. In addition to the $50,000 prize, Rollout, Inc. will also receive in-kind support including six months of free coworking arrangements at the DEC, travel assistance, and technology and cloud computing services.
"As the largest U.S. commercial bank headquartered in Texas, we're proud to have played a role in helping Rollout earn critical start-up capital and exposure for their business idea," said J. Patrick Faubion, President of Comerica Bank's Texas Market. "We congratulate Rollout on winning the $50,000 prize from Comerica Bank and we look forward to not only watching, but also helping them grow and be successful. Additionally, we congratulate all the contestants on a job well done, and encourage the other start-ups to be persistent in pursuing their business dreams."
In the inaugural year of the contest more than 130 applications were received from local entrepreneurs and start-ups across North Texas. The field was then whittled down to the top ten entries as judged by executives from the DEC, Comerica Bank and representatives from the local investment community. The final four contestants were determined by a combination of social media voting, which garnered more than 6,600 votes, and a second round of judging from the panel.
Local celebrities Fleetwood Hicks (president & founder of Villy Custom and ABC Shark Tank Season 3 contestant), David Johnson (business analyst, KRLD 1080 NewsRadio), Terra Saunders (owner/ head designer at Waitressville Uniforms and Dallaswear Uniforms) and Natalie Solis (anchor, KDFW FOX 4 News) presided over the "final four" live pitch event on November 20th.
About the Dallas Entrepreneur Center
The DEC serves entrepreneurs in North Texas, providing them a central hub where they can receive training, education, mentorship, promotion and access to capital in order to encourage and equip the entrepreneurial community to start, build and grow their businesses. Facilitating a culture of entrepreneurship and 'giving before you get', the DEC connects new and old entrepreneurs with a vibrant, collaborative environment. Providing the right tools and resources along with a ripe environment for growth, the Dallas Entrepreneur Center helps entrepreneurs start, build, and grow their business while also working to showcase Dallas as a leader in entrepreneurship in the country.
About Comerica
Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Business Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $68.9 billion at September 30, 2014. To find us on Facebook, please visit www.facebook.com/ComericaCares. Follow Comerica on Twitter at @ComericaCares and follow Comerica Chief Economist Robert Dye on Twitter at @Comerica_Econ.
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SOURCE Comerica Bank
