The inaugural Garage 2 Global 805 micro-conference was a resounding success — a milestone moment for a✱Titan and our partners at Redbrick Ventures. Hosted by a✱Titan founder and CEO Cayden Colasse, the two-hour event showcased 9 early-stage startups and featured deep-dive feedback from industry veterans Jeff DeVine (President & CEO, American Riviera Bank), Raja Jindal (CEO, Twism), and Simon Ooley (CEO, Veles — YC W24).
How It Went
Nine early-stage startups set up exhibits in the Faulkner Gallery, followed by an executive feedback and insight panel from our three judges. A lot of great information was conveyed and connections made for everyone who attended. This was our first time hosting an event like this, and the experience exceeded our expectations across the board.
A massive thanks to Cayden for taking the helm of organizing — and to the panelists for the candor and depth they brought to the feedback sessions.
Congratulations to the Winners
Ecoplasticity — Mayela Fernandez Cantu. Sustainable seaweed-based hydrophobic coatings for disposable food storage containers. Ecoplasticity also took home the People's Choice Award.
Tashe — Grace Chang & Trinabh Ponnapalli. A platform facilitating university involvement and connections.
Hopscotch — Lily Bryan & Liam Hyde. Taking aim at changing the paradigm for how we approach education for children.
"Thanks to the hard work we've been doing, we won a People's Choice Award of $1k in Cash Prize. I would like to thank the organizers of the event — Tyler Lewis, Cayden Colasse, a✱Titan, Inc., and Redbrick Ventures. Thanks to the judges as well, I appreciate all the feedback given."
splitR Powered the Whole Room
The Faulkner Gallery's surround sound for the entire afternoon was driven by a single splitR — no mixer, no rented PA, no rats' nest of XLR runs across the floor. We walked in with the speakers we already had, plugged splitR into the source, and every speaker in the room joined the same Auracast™ broadcast instantly.
That's the entire pitch in a sentence: any speaker, any space, in sync — no AV setup, just ad-hoc and wireless. The room got clean, synchronized audio that filled the gallery; attendees could even tune in directly on their own Auracast™-capable phones and earbuds if they wanted the pitches in their ear instead of from the speakers. One source, unlimited receivers, zero configuration.
It's one thing to demo splitR at a trade show. It's another thing entirely to use it to run a real event — and to watch a roomful of founders, investors, and community members take it for granted that the sound just works. That's the bar we're shipping to.
splitR debuts on Kickstarter in the coming months. Join the waitlist to be first in line, or learn more about splitR here.
What's Next
Stay tuned for the Second Annual Garage 2 Global 805 next year. If you want to be notified when applications open and tickets go live, join our list.
— The a✱Titan team
