Two Boston and three Cambridge startups are heading to Austin in March, having been picked as finalists for this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Pitch event.
While the awards at SXSW aren't large by venture capital standards — typically not above the low six-figures — the competition offers a springboard for participating firms.
The competitors will pitch their business plans to a panel of industry experts, venture capitalists, angel investors and the media. The 45 finalists will pitch to win nine categories on March 9-10.
One winner will be selected from each category, in addition to a Best in Show award for the startup that impressed most overall.
SXSW programming goes beyond the startup scene. Happenings in Austin will also include film screenings, comedy exhibitions, and musical performances. The festival has taken place since 1987, and this is the 16th year of the Pitch competition.
Only two Greater Boston firms will compete head-to-head; Cephable and Skyline Nav AI are both in the Innovative World Technologies category. Cephable develops user-adaptive technology, while Skyline Nav AI is a precision navigation company.
Other Boston-area finalists are Sama Therapeutics, ProjectUs.ai, and Rehydrate, which will compete in the Student Startup category.
Last year, two Greater Boston startups made the same trip to Austin to pitch at SXSW.
