Purified ice startup Elebev won first place at the Miller Lite Tap The Future™ semifinals in Atlanta.
Elebev Holdings LLC (http://www.sfiro.com), the Miami-based premium, secured ice company, announced today it won first place at the semifinal round of the Miller Lite Tap The Future™ business plan competition (http://www.mltapthefuture.com) in the Southwest Region; earning the top prize of $20,000.
As one of 25 semifinalists selected from hundreds of applicants, Elebev was pitted against four startups at the Live Pitch Event in Atlanta on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. Participants presented their business plans before an audience of spectators and a panel of four expert judges, including Daymond John from ABC’s “Shark Tank.” Atlanta was Miller Lite’s second stop in five semifinal Live Pitch Events it hosted nationwide to narrow their search for the next big idea.
With the semifinals behind them, team Elebev advances to the final round in Chicago where they will take on four like-minded finalists on Saturday, December 7, 2013. A panel of 10 judges will name one entrepreneurial team the grand prize winner; awarding a $250,000 business development grant to jumpstart that venture.
“We are honored and grateful for the opportunity to present in the Miller Lite Tap The Future™ competition,” Nestor Villalabos, CEO and founder of Elebev, states. “Being recognized as a finalist lends further validation to the timing and value proposition of Elebev’s unique product offering. We optimistically look forward to Chicago. Winning would be particularly advantageous for our business objectives as we’ll be launching at about that time.”
This winter, Elebev is slated to launch Sfiro – the world’s first secured ice sphere designed for a premium drinking experience. Sfiro addresses a void in the beverage industry as a pure, tasteless, and odorless ice product that eliminates contaminants and impurities originating from ice. Because of its unique shape and size, Sfiro is slow to melt, providing less dilution to better preserve the integrity of the spirit. It complements crafted cocktails and high-end, single-pour spirits, such as single malts and 18-year-old scotch.
Elebev recently closed its second round of funding for $400,000, bringing its total raised to $700,000. For more information on Elebev, visit http://sfiro.com, watch their elevator pitch online at http://www.sfiro.com/video or follow the company on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sfiro.
The Miller Lite Tap the Future business plan competition will start accepting applications in February 2014. For more information visit MLTaptheFuture.com, like Miller Lite on Facebook at Facebook.com/MillerLite or follow @MillerLite on Twitter.
Headquartered in Miami, Florida, Elebev Holdings LLC is the manufacturer and distributor of Sfiro – the world’s first purified ice sphere. Designed for a premium drinking experience, Sfiro addresses a void in the beverage industry as a pure, tasteless, odorless, and slow-to-melt ice product. Elebev’s proprietary purification and packaging process enables Sfiro to freeze flawlessly with crystal clarity. The company is scheduled to introduce Sfiro to the South Florida market this fall. For additional information, visit http://sfiro.com, like Elebev on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/sfiro) or follow @Sfiro (https://twitter.com/sfiro) on Twitter.
