Venture Forum to host five-minute pitch competition at BrickBox Theater

Photo | Courtesy Mack-Cali Front Street in Worcester

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By Alexander MacDougall

Aspiring entrepreneurs from Central Massachusetts will have the opportunity to pitch their idea in front of a live audience on Tuesday to seek additional funding for their startup ventures.

Worcester-based Venture Forum’s Five-Minute Pitch competition will be held on that date at the BrickBox Theater on Worcester’s Franklin Street. The contestants will be presenting their pitches to a live audience of mentors, business professionals, and potential investors.

“Some of these contestants are from the Worcester area,” said Zachary Dutton, the executive director for Venture Fund. “Some are affiliated with StartUp Worcester, while others are with [Worcester Polytechnic Institute].”

Contestants performed their first pitch three months ago, and were then matched with a mentor to help prepare for the final pitch, which will be held live in front of the audience and judged by a panel of investors. Winners will receive funding to scale their business model. First prize will receive funding of $6,000 and second prize will receive $3,000.

To register for the event, click here: https://20225minutepitch.eventbrite.com

The contestants for this year’s pitch competition are as follows:

A Sneakerhead's Paradise, Nazr El-Scari - For sneakerheads who want to collect sneakers but lack time to invest in searching and negotiating, Sneakerhead’s Paradise provides a unique subscription-based platform that separates users based on their price elasticity to pair them with the sneakers they want at prices they can afford.
ARC Industries, Robert Monteith - A renewable energy research company devoted to developing and implementing new and exciting technology which furthers the adoption of clean energy sources.
Empowering Confident Youth, Jean Paul Paulynice - Helping to empower elementary, middle, and high school youth to develop a solid sense of self and purpose so they are able to shape a future based on their own identity, passion, and entrepreneurial vision.
Farmblox, Marc Printz - The first universal smart farm platform. Farmblox helps farmers improve labor productivity and yields through data. Smart sensors and controllers help farmers detect issues before they impact yields, and improve labor productivity by improving workflow.
Nutroo.ai, Yuriy Kamenivskyy - All-in-one solution for healthy nutrition to provide you with a personalized easy-to-cook meal plan based on an AI-powered matching algorithm, hand reviewed by the startup’s in-house experts to match specific needs.
Reflective Performance Inc. John Carlson - Unlocking human potential and productivity by systematically applying Executive Function (EF) Assessment and Skills enhancement to improve individual employee and organizational performance.
SAFO, Ellana Stinson - A hair care line infused with CBD to promote healthy hair growth and scalp health.
Sympal, Cheryl Shao - A novel clear aligner company, founded by dentists, doing orthodontics safer, better, and cheaper.