The Sacramento Kings Capitalize contest has narrowed to its final four startup companies vying for a $10,000 top cash prize.
Capitalize is a March Madness-style tournament for local startup companies now in its eighth year.
The contenders this year are:
- 3D Organic Polymer Silk, a Davis company working with spider silk as glue for medical uses. The company is developing a surgical adhesive out of silk proteins that is both strong and biologically compatible for use in the body to work on tendons and connective tissue for animal and human applications.
- AppOrchid, a Folsom-based company that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to quickly build apps for enterprise energy and utility customers. The AppOrchid platform provides customers a combination of artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities paired with industry-specific content that allows companies to build applications in weeks rather than months with little or no coding.
- Ravata Solutions, a Davis company with technology to improve in vitro fertilization success for people and animals. CEO Gurkern Sufi said the company is developing devices, consumables and software for its fertility optimization products, which have a potential animal market of $380 million and a human market of $1 billion.
- Shared Vision, a Rocklin company offering online affiliate link marketing management. Founder Spencer Bardsley said the company allows consumers who follow social media influencers to buy the featured product in real time.
The four finalists made pitch videos in Golden 1 Center Wednesday after their successful pitches before a panel of judges and members of the local technology and investment community.
The winner will be decided by judges and fans' votes at the Kings' home game against the Phoenix Suns March 24.
People can view each of the final pitch videos and vote at Kings.com/Capitalize or vote on Twitter @SacramentoKings, with the hashtag #CapitalizeTechnology2023 and the company's Twitter handle ⏤ in a tweet. Those handles are @3DOPSilk, @_SharedVision, @RavataSolutions and @apporchid.
The Kings launched the Capitalize contest under the ownership of Chairman and CEO Vivek Ranadivé, a technology industry veteran.
Last year, the winner was Elk Grove’s EyeRate, an online review startup that now has grown to 49 employees and just this week raised a $4 million funding round led by Folsom venture capital firm Moneta Ventures.
