This post originally appeared on the Louisiana Technology Park blog.
Hyperlocal social shopping app SellSwipe took the $50,000 top prize at the Baton Rouge Pitch Night event to close out Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week and end a year of pitch events featuring entrepreneurs from across the Capital region.
The SellSwipe mobile app lets consumers find items for sale from people and businesses in their community, and also post their own items for sale. Users can follow the purchases of friends and family and get recommendations on businesses and deals.
SellSwipe was one of three finalists in the competition, which was held at The Manship Theatre in downtown Baton Rouge and sponsored by the Louisiana Technology Park and Innovation Catalyst. The other finalists were The Healing Sole, a sandal used to help treat plantar fasciitis and foot pain, and Aqua Pak, which aims to offer eco-friendly packaging for water that reduces plastic use and greenhouse emissions.
SellSwipe founder David Facey described his product as a social network that creates a marketplace based on product discovery, influencer marketing and recommendations. Users can find nearby businesses to see what items they have for sale and discover any deals they may offer. They can save products to review later, message the business with questions or recommend products to friends.