Success Stories

Bon AppéSweet

Thereasa Black, esq. is the CEO for Bon AppéSweet. Bon AppéSweet is a dessert company on a mission to bring everyone together with something sweet. The company identifies itself as a confectionary company based founded on the belief that everyone should be bettering their bodies and the world with nutrient dense treats. The company prides itself on crafting delicious, decadent chocolate bars that aren’t filled with processed ingredients. Bon AppéSweet competed in the 2022 VBB and was selected as a finalist. Since competing, Walmart has placed Bon AppéSweet into their stores and given the opportunity to launch nationally.

Libre Manufacturing

Libre Manufacturing remains committed to its mission of providing an open, standards-driven, infinitely scalable data platform and dev-ops ready headless backend for application development to support digital transformation in global manufacturing. The company has made strategic changes by acquiring two Systems Integration firms, becoming GxP/GAMP and ISO27001 compliant, and focusing on the Life Sciences industry. They have also simplified their offerings and stopped raising capital through traditional VC means, instead opting for strategic partnerships. Other efforts include refactoring the Libre ISA-95 schema, redefining the partner channel, and developing marketing and messaging that drives thought leadership through ISPE. These changes are critical as global manufacturing struggles to modernize and VCs fund "solutions" that do not address the issue.

Opera Bioscience

The company has made several notable achievements, including adding a new Chief Scientific Officer as a third co-founder, being accepted into the BioTools Innovator accelerator, winning the Equalize pitch competition for female academic founders, moving into their own lab space, raising a Friends and Family round, and being finalists for two scientific fellowships from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. They are also looking to hire their first employee, a fermentation scientist. The company has received notification of being competitive for approximately $600k in non-dilutive grant funding and is hoping to receive it in the coming months. They plan to release their first products and acquire customers in the late fall. The company created a 60-second video that won first prize in the BioTools Innovator program's video competition. Additionally, they were able to utilize prize money from RVBB to further investigate their target markets.

Ranch Road Boots, presented by Sarah Ford

Ford pitched her idea for a classic, quality lifestyle brand inspired by her grandfather’s boots at the first-ever Veterans Business Battle in 2015. Her investment offers stemming from the event from both the EO-Houston investment group and Main Street Capital totaled $350,000. With that investment and through relationships formed with mentors at Veterans Business Battle, Ranch Road Boots transitioned from a small custom line of boots to a ready-to-wear collection. Since the competition, Ford has set up mobile retail stations, held regular trunk shows, and established a presence in retail stores. “I wouldn’t be where I am now without Veterans Business Battle,” she said. “I wouldn’t have had inventory to sell.” Ford is a former U.S. Marine and a graduate of Harvard Business School. You can shop her boots at www.ranchroadboots.com.

Trumbull Unmanned, presented by JR & Dyan Gibbens

Trumbull Unmanned deploys drones to map, monitor, and inspect operations across the energy sector to make operations better, faster, and safer. Since presenting its business plan at the 2015 Veterans Business Battle, and as the first unmanned aircraft company approved for operations by several of the largest oil and gas companies, Trumbull has performed operations in the Arctic and Pacific, shoreline mapping during oil spill response events, and continues to operate across the globe. Veteran owned and led, each teammate is a veteran, pilot, engineer, and UAV operator. “ Trumbull Unmanned also launched Trumbull Technologies to bring to market several advancements for drones in oil and gas. Trumbull has been named in the Top 25 Veteran-Founded Startups in America by Forbes and has served on White House round tables to discuss small business.

BIAO, presented by Nicole Baldwin

Nicole Baldwin was inspired while serving in the Army and seeing the harsh effects of sun, wind and sand on her skin to create a skincare line that’s not only all-natural, but fights environmental causes of aging like nothing else on the market. She received a combined $150,000 of investment offers at the 2016 Veterans Business Battle and was named the crowd favorite after her 1-minute elevator pitch during the awards ceremony, earning her a $5,000 cash prize.

Veterans Manufacturing, presented by William Gibbons & Michael Hlozek

Veterans Manufacturing came to 2017’s competition with a line of body armor and other protective gear highly sought after by law enforcement and other government agencies, but in need of capital to increase production. After a $350,000 investment from the EO Houston investment group and another $350,000 investment from other sources stemming from the company’s involvement in Veterans Business Battle, Veterans Manufacturing has moved into a proper manufacturing facility, won many contracts include one from the Texas Department of Public Safety, doubled the number of retailers, expanded to international retailers, represented small business at both the U.S. Congress and the White House and hired two new full time employees.

True Made Foods, presented by Abraham Kamarck

Abraham Kamarck recreated America’s favorite sauces – ketchup, barbecue and sriracha – without using sugar or artificial ingredients. The product line, True Made Foods, met demands of health-conscious eaters, is compliant with paleo and gluten-free diets, while also pleasing their taste buds. When True Made Foods competed in the 2017 Veterans Business Battle, the company was slowly expanding into regional grocery stores. After winning a $1,000 crowd favorite vote and receiving a $100,000 investment, True Made Foods growth has continued, expanding into several national grocery chains.

Past Competitors

Top 5 Finalists
- Ascender Systems
- Blue Eye Soft Corp - Blue Space
- Mach1 Services
- Mesa Quantum Systems Inc.
- Rxpharmacist, LLC
Other Finalists
- Ascender Systems
- Basin Boat Lighting
- Blue Eye Soft Corp - Blue Space
- Bobi, Inc.
- Facility Ally LLC
- Fatherhood Wines
- JuiceNet LLC
- JurisDeed
- Mach1 Services
- Mesa Quantum Systems Inc.
- Phoenix Skool Buses LLC
- Rehydrate
- Rxpharmacist, LLC
Top 5 Finalists
- Pretty Thai
- NVIS
- Martini Mates
- Accel-EQ
- Parlay Protocol
Other Finalists
- Accel-EQ
- Arden
- Basin Boat Lighting SmartBird Lighting
- CarTwin
- Chiplytics
- Clifford Distilling
- Designegy
- Filmocracy
- Martini Mates
- NVIS
- Outmore Living
- Parlay Protocol
- Phalanx
- Pretty Thai Brand
- Rannsak
- TrustUS
Top 5 Finalists
- Bon AppéSweet
- Canopy Aerospace
- Enrichly
- Libre Technologies
- Martini Mates
- Opera Bioscience
Other Finalists
- 4Sight Environmental, Inc
- accelEQ Inc.
- Bon AppéSweet
- Canopy Aerospace
- DenScore Inc.
- Enrichly
- Libre Technologies
- Martini Mates
- Multitude Insights
- Opera Bioscience
- SecureFoundry Inc
- Skywire Design
- SYBOR Tech, Inc.
- Uro-Research, LLC
- VRB
- Wrexx
Top 5 Finalists
- Native
- Parasanti
- Chiplytics
- RavensEye
- Candelytics
Other Finalists
- ICCEE Technologies
- Sticky Spoons Jam, LLC
- Bon AppéSweet
- Popsmoke Supply Company
- TradeX
- FarSight Technologies, LLC
- Radish Health
- Blue Eye Soft Corp – BlueDocAI
- Veterans Alliance Resourcing, Inc.
- Enrichly
- Quick Safety
Top 5 Finalists
- Capsulomics
- Fieldcraft
- YouMeMine
Other Finalists
- Almond Finance
- Cowboy Cricket Farms
- Crew Trace Systems
- Cultured Decadence
- Filmocracy
- KnightCase
- KnowRX, Inc.
- Milk Money Kitchens Inc.
- Raven Spatial
- TriFitness Gym
- VertiPrime Government Service
- Virmodo
- Weshowup.io
- Amor Oral
- And I Like It Cheesecake
- City Gym
- Family Proud
- Feedme Fitness
- Gotta Have It Fan Foams
- Harvard Telemedicine
- Harvest Returns
- High Country Air Services
- Knifehand Nutrition
- Maco
- Off Duty Blue
- Power Polymer
- Randian
- Reimbi
- Rock N Roe Aquaponics
- Safe Stamp
- SEE ID
- Zanbazan
Winner
- Campaign Partners
Finalists
- Polco
- Tenavox
- InstaPrivy
Semi-Finalists
- Anjin
- Amulet Corp
- Armaments Research Company (ARC
- Craft Brewery Point of Sale
- Cyber Reconnaissance, Inc. (CYR3CON)
- GaN-Power
- Health Water
- Mastiff
- Millie
- Purple Heart 3
- SecurityGate
- ThinkGenetic
- Trikaroo
- UAV-IQ
- Ads for the Road
- AirZaar
- American Oil Changers
- Anjin
- Chicken Fountain
- Cooking Appliances
- Cystic Fibrosis Continuity of Care
- Farm Force
- Funnel Science
- Lab Ready
- MedNoxa
- GH Mobil / Mobile Mechanics
- Shield International
- True Made Foods
- Veterans Manufacturing
- Air Armor Tech
- Biao Skin Care
- Campus Doorman
- Cell Systems 3D
- Counterstrike Coffee
- FemTac
- Hive Maritime
- Innovator Health
- KL Morrow's P&S LLC
- Mobilization Capital
- N2CVT / Connected Vehicle Technology
- Fish Views
- Serious Simulations
- Solar Shield Paint
- SynShark
- Tasklight
- Weather General
- AAA Energy Audits
- Bagups
- Candy Lab
- Dogtag Brewing
- Hire Our Hero
- Invicta Challenge
- Jody Cakes
- Mansalt
- Mobile C-Arm
- Neptune Diagnostics
- Ranch Road Boots
- Savanna
- Sockwork
- TooFinger
- Trumbull Unmanned