Winston Starts awarded a total of $18,000 to local startups at its annual investor pitch event last week.
inStryde, a Winston-Salem startup that makes affordable, custom insoles, took top prize and was awarded $10,000. The startup uses AI and 3-D printing to design and produce its orthotics and has raised approximately $300,000 to date.
The runner-up, smoodi, was awarded $8,000. smoodi offers fresh, customizable self-serve smoothies by providing retail stores, offices and health clubs its proprietary self-cleaning blender and smoothie cups. A part of the inaugural Venture Winston Grants cohort, smoodi recently moved from Boston to Winston-Salem and was awarded $50,000.
The investor pitch event included presentations and product demonstrations from the companies at Winston Starts as well as a panel discussion on entrepreneurism and the current startup environment. Panelists included leaders from venture capital firms, such as xElle Ventures, Bully City Ventures, CFV Ventures and The Launch Place.
Brent Collins, senior vice president and private client adviser with Bank of America Private Bank, also offered practical advice for startups at the event.
“The investor event is a great opportunity for our startup companies to receive valuable exposure and expert advice that will help them on their journey to success,” said Stan Parker, president of Winston Starts. “We greatly appreciate the support of our sponsors and the judges and panelist who made the event possible.”
Other companies who pitched included Remote Health, Battery Xchange and DHN Solutions.
Winston Starts Investor Pitch Event 2022
Betsy Brown, vice president of Winston Starts, said that the event was not only for founders to pitch their startups and products but to help build awareness of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Winston-Salem and bring investors to the Triad. Investors who attended the event came from Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, Brown said.
The pitch competition was moderated by Mark Friedman, president of RTP Capital Associates and portfolio manager at The Launch Place, and judged by leaders from the Pisgah Fund, Cofounders Capital, RiverFlow Ventures and Venture South Piedmont.
“I was blown away by what I saw here this morning. This is class A space and an impressive program,” Friedman said of Winston Starts. “The pitches we heard were polished and you all really have something here.”
