Danville-based entrepreneurial development organization The Launch Place has announced the 10 startup finalists for its sixth annual Big Launch Challenge, and a Charlotte organization made the cut.
PureSurgery, a "surgical marketplace" that allows those undergoing elective surgery to compare options for doctors and procedures, will head to The Launch Place's satellite location in Research Triangle Park for the Sept. 11 contest.
It joins seven other North Carolina-based startups, with two of the other pitch participants representing the commonwealth of Virginia.
Those pitching will each have eight minutes (plus a short question and answer period) to share their business plans to a panel of judges. This year's group includes:
- Elaine Bolle, investment chair and board member of RTP Capital Associates, as well as board member at Angel Capital Association
- Tim Cartwright, co-founder and partner of Fifth Avenue Family Office, as well as founder and chair of the Tamiami Family of Angel Funds
- Marty Kaszubowski, executive director for Innovation Initiatives at Old Dominion University's Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as well as chair of The Launch Place Board of Directors
- Paul Nolde, director of NRV and The Launch Place Seed Fund Advisory Board member
- Autumn Visser, principal at Woods Rogers, PLC
This panel will decide which two startups will win part of the total $20,000 prize pot, as well as access to packages of The Launch Place resources.
“The goal of the Big Launch Challenge is to provide early-stage startups the opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors, and for The Launch Place Pre-Seed and Seed Fund to generate deal flow,” said The Launch Place President and CEO, Eva Doss in an emailed statement. “Every year it is a different experience, with different business ideas and founding teams, and I look forward to hearing the pitches.”
The pitch competition will wrap up the two-day Angel Capital Association’s Southeast Regional Meeting. Hosted by the largest group for accredited investors in the world, the conference will revolve around the theme, “Taking Good Deeds to the Bank: Making Angel Investing Pay Off."
For a list of all Big Launch Challenge finalists, see below.
Big Launch Challenge Finalists
(All descriptions provided by The Launch Place)
- Where: Greenville, S.C.
- What: "Redefining the local media landscape."
- Where: Burlington, N.C.
- What: "Innovation in feminine hygiene while serving women's health and wellness."
- Where: Raleigh, N.C.
- What: "Health empowerment through automated preventive care."
- Where: Richmond, Va.
- What: "Empowering health care employers to efficiently manage and fill critical staffing needs."
- Where: Durham, N.C.
- What: "New technology to rapidly detect bacterial contamination in food and animal feed."
- Where: Raleigh, N.C.
- What: "Helps software companies build products faster without armies of test engineers."
- Where: Durham, N.C.
- What: "Maker of the highest-efficiency solar module."
- Where: Charlotte, N.C.
- What: "Digital platform for optimizing patients before, during and after surgery."
- Where: Roanoke, Va.
- What: "Offers dynamic pricing and data exchange for the retail industry."
- Where: Durham, N.C.
- What: "AI enabled processing of title insurance."
