Venture Madness announces 17 finalists for 2023 Arizona pitch competition

Venture Madness, the longest-running venture capital and pitch conference in Arizona, has released names of finalists for this year’s competition.

Invest Southwest, a nonprofit that organizes the event, said Wednesday that judges selected 17 finalists from 88 applicants based on market need, industry attractiveness, competitive advantage, business model, management team and investment opportunity.

Finalists include 16 companies from Arizona with one based in San Francisco, California.

“These 17 companies will compete at the 2023 Venture Madness Conference for the chance to win their share of $40,000 in cash prizes,” Hamid Shojaee, board chair of Venture Madness by Invest Southwest, said in a statement. “Presenting finalists will also have the opportunity to secure funding for their early-stage companies from accredited investors that will be attending the event.”

The 2023 Venture Madness Conference and Expo is slated for April 12-13 at the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix. The event, which is intended to connect emerging startups with active investors in the region, is held in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority.

At the event, early-stage and emerging growth companies compete against one another in a live, pitch-style competition for cash prizes. To prepare for the competition, finalists receive mentorship from seasoned investors, business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Companies that have participated in Venture Madness have raised more than $1 billion in funding since the event’s inception in 1992.

This year’s event will have a new alumni session highlighting former finalists based in Arizona that will share inspiring stories about raising capital, including AlgoFace, Metfora, Reglagene and Rivia Health. The conference will also feature an expo where companies can demonstrate their products for attendees, according to the Venture Madness website.

Venture Madness attendees are investors, service professionals and entrepreneurs. Some investment firms that have previously attended the event include: Arizona Tech Investors, AZ-VC (formerly invisionAZ Fund), Canyon Angels, Grayhawk Capital, Kickstart Fund, PHX Ventures, Signal Peak Ventures, Sonoran Founders Fund and Trinity Capital.  

The event is open to the public and tickets are available at venturemadness.com.

The 17 finalists for this year's event include: