Bret Tobey pitches his startup company, Auto IQ, to a room full of investors.
St. Petersburg, FL -- For Bret Tobey, eight minutes may hold the key to his entire future.
His startup company, Auto IQ, was one of six getting that time in front of a room full of potential investors to pitch their ideas on Thursday morning.
"Really a once in a lifetime opportunity for most entrepreneurs," Tobey described.
From one company wanting to change the gift card industry to another with a scavenger hunt phone app, the six startups are part of the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg's Gazelle Lab.
It's a 90-day advanced crash course on how to be a better entrepreneur, culminating with the chance to get investors to open up their wallets.
In Tobey's case, he explains Auto IQ as an electronic device that plugs into your car and lets you know if something is wrong.
"So when somebody tries to sell you maybe an air filter that you don't need, we'll be able to say wait a minute, you don't need it. You've already got it," Tobey said.
The director of the program, Dr. Bill Jackson, says each of the startups wants to keep their company in the Tampa Bay area.
Given the local unemployment rate, Jackson believes it's an opportunity to turn around the economy.
"We see high growth entrepreneurial firms as really being the driver of that momentum," Jackson explained.
In fact, Tobey says if not for the USF program, he'd probably take his idea to a different state.
"We want real, good jobs here in the Bay area," he said.
The USF program chose the six startups from a list of more than 100 applicants.
To apply or learn more information go to gazellelab.com.