Six startups — including three based in southeastern Wisconsin — will present at the Summerfest Tech pitch competition on Sept. 8 at the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage at Henry Maier Festival Park.
The local contenders are Milwaukee-based Investii and Vaia, as well as Sheboygan's Debtle. Three other startups from around the country are also pitching.
The first-place winner will receive $20,000 and the second- and third-place winners will each get $2,500. Young Enterprising Society, a local organization that promotes entrepreneurship, is hosting the competition, which is sponsored by Molson Coors Beverage Co.
Here's a look at the six companies vying for the prizes:
- Debtle: Co-founded by Stephanie and Houston Hoskins in 2019, Debtle's platform is designed to help organizations negotiate and settle invoices directly with their customers.
- Investii: This personal finance platform promotes saving and investing by helping users transfer money into financial accounts to earn rewards. It was co-founded by Nishant Deshpande and Bryan Stave in 2020.
- Liiv: Started by James Ingram and Benoit Lagarde in 2018, New York City-based Liiv is focused on understanding how people live in a digital world through advocacy, thought leadership, academic partnerships and technology platforms.
- SoleSafe: This sneaker insurance startup in St. Paul, Minnesota, was founded in 2020 by Phil Terrill and Osei Hill.
- Vaia: Founded by Joseph Alioto in 2020, Vaia is an app designed to help groups collaboratively plan and book travel. Alioto is also the chief financial officer of another Milwaukee startup, Like|Minded.
- ZapLife: This live streaming app was co-founded by Cassie Hinnen and Samantha Irizarry in 2020 and has locations in Jersey City, New Jersey and Santa Monica, California.
The presentations will occur in person at 2 p.m. on the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee but will also be available virtually — registration is free on the Summerfest Tech website.
Last year's Summerfest Tech pitch competition first-place winner was Appleton-based Proceed.app, a visual platform designed to help employers train employees more efficiently. Tip a ScRxipt and washbnb, both in Milwaukee, took second and third place, respectively.
