An app that aggregates social media messaging, 3D printed bone implants, and a cutting-edge treatment for autism are among the ideas to be presented from aspiring entrepreneurs at Pitch & Pour, northwest Ohio’s largest entrepreneurial business pitch competition.
Five teams will pitch their ideas at the sixth annual startup pitch event sponsored by The University of Toledo’s LaunchPad Incubation Program Thursday, Nov. 16, at 5:30 p.m. in the Nitschke Technology Commercialization Complex.
The teams are vying for a grand prize of $10,000 in cash, plus access to entrepreneurial services through UT Launchpad Incubation.
The future entrepreneurs will have five minutes and five slides to pitch their business concepts to the region’s angel investors, venture capitalists, technology experts, professors, and business and community leaders. An expert panel of judges will provide helpful insight and vote to determine the winner or winners.
“We are proud to be providing the opportunity for candidate companies and entrepreneurs to compete in November’s event here at the heart of our region’s startup community,” said Jessica Sattler, director of economic engagement and business development programs at UT. “Each year we seek to identify high-tech, high-growth, technology-enabled enterprises that demonstrate innovation and business concepts with the potential to develop into successful companies. This year we are thrilled to have received the greatest number of applicants in Pitch & Pour history with some true standout ideas in the mix. This is a testament to the growth in the entrepreneurial culture and overall ecosystem here in northwest Ohio. ”
The presenting startup teams at the Pitch & Pour event will be:
• Flyght, a retail and restaurant software platform that automates and unifies the business ecosystem to allow retailers to focus on their customer.
• Psyneurgy, which is developing new treatments for neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorders.
• RegenFix, an implant that mimics the structure and mechanical behavior of bone designed and produced according to patient-derived CT data.
• Venturi, an app that aggregates different social media platforms to allow the user to see and organize all messages in one place.
• Uptik, a service that organizes upcoming expenses and revenue to provide a daily, accurate picture of your financial future without taking any personal and sensitive information.
This year’s judges are Tom Burden, founder of Grypmat and former student winner of Pitch & Pour; Justin Hammerling, CEO of Kapios Health and associate vice president at ProMedica Innovations; Candice Matthews, founder of Cincinnati’s Hillman Accelerator; Bob Savage, founder and managing partner of CoreNetwork Fund and founder and president of Savage Consulting; and Dr. Michael Toole, dean of the UT College of Engineering
Admission is free. Attendees must pre-register online at pitchandpour.com.
Pitch & Pour competitors have the opportunity to be invited to join UT’s LaunchPad Incubation Program, which works to bolster innovation in northwest Ohio by providing access to capital, resources and expertise focused on enhancing community collaboration and communication for entrepreneurial development.
