Venture Madness
“The startups this year are shining examples of the entrepreneurship and innovation happening in the Southwest region right now,” said Jonathan Ariano, chairman of Invest Southwest.
Phoenix, Ariz. (PRWEB) February 24, 2015
The top 16 companies have been selected to compete in the final round of the 2015 Venture Madness competition. Presented by Invest Southwest in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, Venture Madness pits early stage growth companies against one another to win their share of $50,000 in total cash prizes.
The final, live-demo portion of Venture Madness will be held March 4-6 at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale. The top 16 companies will pitch their way through bracket-style parings and a panel of judges will determine who is crowned 2015 Venture Madness Champion. Open to the public, the Venture Madness conference will include a keynote address by 500 Startups’ founding partner Dave McClure and Matthew Pittinsky, co-founder of Blackboard Inc. McClure has been an investor in hundreds of companies around the world including Credit Karma, Mint.com and SlideShare. Pittinsky started Blackboard 1997 and today it is considered by most industry analysts to be a leading provider of online education systems around the world.
“I cannot wait to see how these 16 companies will do in the live pitch competitions. It is one thing to make a 90 second video, it is quite another to pitch to a live audience and answer questions from judges while your opponents sit opposite you, ready to do the same,” said Jonathan Ariano, chairman of Invest Southwest. “The startups this year are shining examples of the entrepreneurship and innovation happening in the Southwest region right now, and the conference is going to be a great event for networking and an outstanding resource for local businesses.”
Listed in alphabetical order, the 16 companies advancing are:
- Beacon Biomedical Inc.
- CampusLogic, Inc.
- Clear Demand
- EndoVantage, LLC
- Numa Tactical LLC
- Picmonic
- Pure Chat, Inc.
- ReplyBuy, Inc.
- RevolutionParts, Inc.
- RightBio Metrics
- Sentinel Internet Systems, Inc.
- Swimlane
- Talu
- Tiply, Inc.
- Triton Microtechnologies
- Universal Bio Mining
More than 300 people are expected to attend the 2015 Venture Madness conference and live-pitch competitions including expert investors, service professionals and entrepreneurs. Tickets are available at http://goo.gl/pJaQmB. For more information about the competition visit: VentureMadness.com.
How Venture Madness Works
The first of two online elimination rounds began on January 9, 2015 at VentureMadness.com. During the two online rounds, winners in each matchup are determined solely by a panel of judges. After the two online elimination rounds, 16 companies are advancing to the live-demo portion of the contest held March 4-6, 2015 at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. It's here where they will compete for their share of $50,000 in cash prizes by live-pitching their way through the brackets before the panel of judges, who will ultimately determine which company will be crowned the 2015 Venture Madness Champion.
About Invest Southwest
Invest Southwest has been the premier organization for connecting investors with ventures in the region for over 20 years. In addition to providing valuable thought leadership on topics important to the investment and startup communities, Invest Southwest offers year-round opportunities for engagement via a series of educational seminars and networking events. Its signature event, Venture Madness, is a unique startup competition presented in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority. Venture Madness pits 64 startups against one another in a bracket-style, head-to-head competition to crown the champion. Visit http://www.investsouthwest.org for more information.
About the Arizona Commerce Authority
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state’s leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona’s economy. The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: recruit, grow, create – recruit out-of-state companies to expand their operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to grow their business in Arizona and beyond; and partner with entrepreneurs and companies large and small to create new jobs and businesses in targeted industries. Visit azcommerce.com for more information.
# # #
Media Contacts:
Diane Smith, Director of Public Relations
Martz Parsons
dsmith(at)martzparsons(dot)com
480-998-3154
Susan Marie, Marketing & Communications Manager
Arizona Commerce Authority
susanm(at)azcommerce(dot)com
602-845-1231