Elk Grove gets record number of contenders for startup pitch contest

Elk Grove economic development has narrowed the field to 16 semifinalist startup contenders for its Pitch Elk Grove startup competition in September.

The city got a record 62 applicants for the startup competition with $20,000 in cash prizes.

"Most of these companies have experience pitching live," said Laura Good, CEO of StartupSac, which handles the programming of Pitch Elk Grove for the city.

The 16 semifinalists will compete in a virtual pitch-off on Aug. 14 to determine eight finalists. They range from companies in tech, ag-tech, and sports technology to education, infrastructure and matchmaking.

The contenders include five from Sacramento, three each from Davis and Elk Grove and a number of companies from El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, Granite Bay and West Sacramento. The field also has a couple companies that won the top prize in Sacramento Kings Capitalize pitch contest — Strived and Japa Inc.

Japa also won the UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition back in 2018, when the company’s concept was still evolving from a class project at the University of California Davis.

“With a record-breaking number of applications, we continue to be impressed with the high caliber of entrepreneurs and innovative ideas presented,” said Darrell Doan, Elk Grove's economic development director, in a news release. "These semifinalists represent the best and brightest in our community, and we look forward to seeing how they will help shape the future of our region’s economy."

In its third year, there is more money on the table. The big prize is first place, which gets $10,000; followed by second place at $5,000, third place at $2,500 and Best Elk Grove Startup at $2,500. The $2,500 prize for third place is new this year.

Elk Grove uses the pitch contest as an economic development tool to introduce the startup community to Elk Grove and its finance programs like the Startup Elk Grove Incentive Program, which launched in 2018 and offers direct cash subsidies to startup companies based in the city.

The incentive program offers cash grants to companies that will support new jobs or technology opportunities in Elk Grove. The city takes no equity in the companies and the money doesn’t need to be paid back — as long as the companies remain headquartered in Elk Grove. If the company moves out of Elk Grove, or if the company is acquired, the grant becomes a loan.

Here are the semifinalists.