Fresh off its participation in a prestigious three-month accelerator program, washbnb is one of two Milwaukee firms selected as semi-finalists for the 9th Annual Startup of the Year Summit, this year being held in Tampa, Florida.
Washbnb, a tech-enabled provider of linen and laundry services for short-term rental properties, is being joined by Rex Academy in Milwaukee, described as a "one stop solution" for computer science learning using a self-paced curriculum, easy integration, remote teachers, and 24-7 live learning support. The two companies will participate in a pitch competition where the winner gets up to $50,000 in investments.
Startup of the Year is born out of Maine-based Established. It's a national three-day conference bringing 100 startups to compete in the Startup of the Year pitch competition, which in turn brings a number of heavyweight investors, including Las Vegas-based Established Ventures, to the host city.
The conference chooses a new city each year, most recently being held in Memphis and Boston.
In the fall, washbnb wrapped up its participation in the competitive three-month Techstars Atlanta accelerator program, receiving a $120,000 investment from Techstars. Since then, washbnb co-founder and CEO Daniel Cruz told the Milwaukee Business Journal that the startup's next priorities were fundraising, building out its team, securing more of its hotel-quality linens and expanding to new markets.
Washbnb and Rex Academy face tough competition from a field of nearly 80 semi-finalists, many from the Tampa Bay area.
Here's the full rundown of the semi-finalists making their pitch Jan. 26.
