HydroTek a local startup created by Trinity University graduates Zach Taylor and Tara Lujan has been named the winner of Geekdom’s 2022 fourth-quarter Community Fund pitch competition and will receive a $25,000 investment from San Antonio’s collaborative startup community. HydroTek is a hardware-enabled SaaS company, and its initial product is a smart water bottle that helps its users track their levels of hydration.
“We are thrilled and honored to be selected as the winner of the Q4 Community Fund and are overwhelmed with gratitude for Geekdom’s continued support for our startup journey. Our team put forth a tremendous effort this year, and this win is just the push we need to launch our beta program early next year. With Geekdom’s support through the Community Fund, we’ll be bringing better hydration to San Antonio very soon!” said Zach Taylor, co-founder and CEO of HydroTek. A photo of the winning HydroTek team and the company’s logo may be found here.
“Zach and Tara have been great founders to work with here at Geekdom. The Community Fund will be a great resource for HydroTek to continue building out their company and I look forward to seeing them launch their beta,” said Matthew Espinoza, Geekdom’s program director.
Every quarter, Geekdom member startups are given the opportunity to apply and, if selected, pitch to a guest panel of judges to receive a $25,000 investment in the form of a SAFE note. This quarter’s judging panel included Iris Gonzalez from Startups San Antonio, Elizabeth Reiser of White Cloud Media, and Ben Jones, Skipcart founder and Geekdom’s first Entrepreneur in Residence.
Finalists are evaluated on their business model, use of funds, and Geekdom mission fit. The other finalists of this quarter were:
Zeus Card – Zeus Card is a rewards credit card for health and fitness purchases.
Website- https://zeuscard.app
Founder: Zeke Torres
Hexzian – Hexzian makes access to the C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) ecosystem painless for makers.
Website- https://www.hexzian.com
Founder: Carlos Mosqueda
MVP Vibe – MVP Vibe is a social media app that provides a community for artists, poets, creatives, and fans to connect, collaborate, and earn money.
Website-https://www.mvpvibe.com
Founders: Amanda Bankston and Eddie Bankston
Dog Guide – Dog Guide helps dog owners find where to go and what to do with their dogs in cities across the U.S.
Website-https://thedogguide.com
Founder: Amy Johnson
To watch the final pitches and winner announcements, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg-jQHKvvvk. Details about the Geekdom Community Fund can be found at https://geekdom.com/our-programs/community-fund/.
