On Tuesday night, the MIIB audience gathered at Hana House as four transportation technology finalists took the stage to pitch their innovative transportation solutions. After a fierce competition, Avol emerged victorious, earning the $5,000 prize to advance their business. The Make It in Brooklyn Future of Transportation Pitch Contest was a showcase for startups introducing innovative solutions for transportation and mobility challenges and an opportunity to connect with industry professionals and potential investors.  

Emcee Jared Ais, a transportation planner also known as TransitTalks on TikTok, provided valuable context throughout the evening with his witty commentary and industry expertise. 

The diverse lineup of startups showcased transformative transportation technologies. PopWheels is building city-scale battery-swapping networks to solve the affordability and safety challenges faced by the thousands of delivery workers in New York City. Kquika, Inc. is transforming aviation maintenance with its AI-powered Trakt System, which helps airlines predict and prevent aircraft failures. EZGlyd offers a foldable three-wheel cargo scooter designed for underserved urban residents.  Avol, the winner, focuses on enhancing logistics efficiency for healthcare, their medical drone delivery service transports blood, organs and supplies. 

The panel of judges included professionals working at the intersection of transportation and technology: Dulcie Canton, Pilots and Sales Associate at CLIP; Judy Chang, Project Director at itselectric; Dr. Jannie Gao, Assistant Director of Research at c2SMARTER; Phil Hwang, Head of Business Development at Dollaride; and Patrick Knoth, General Manager at Citibike/Lyft. 

The judges were drawn to Avol’s potential to revolutionize the logistics of time-sensitive deliveries, with its medical drone delivery service, which transports critical supplies like blood, organs, and medical equipment to enhance healthcare efficiency. After the pitches, the judges engaged the finalists in a 3-minute Q&A session, probing deeper into the technical details, market potential, and competitive advantages of each solution. 

Make It in Brooklyn is dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and supporting Brooklyn’s innovation ecosystem with its series of pitch contests, meet-ups, and panels. These initiatives have united hundreds of entrepreneurs and provided over $100K in seed funding, along with invaluable pro-bono professional services.  

The competition was made possible by the generous support of our sponsor NYU Tandon School of Engineering, as well as the event venue, Hana House.