Nine budding entrepreneurs from Central Pennsylvania and neighboring regions will have an opportunity to make a pitch to AOL founder Steve Case next month for $100,000 in investment funding.
The companies will make their pitches to Case and a panel of judges when Case visits the midstate on Oct. 10 as part of his Rise of The Rest road trip.
He will start the day with stops in York and Lancaster before heading to the Harrisburg Midtown Art Center for a fireside chat with Penn State University President Eric Barron.
Case’s Rise of the Rest is a three-year-old nationwide initiative designed to support and promote entrepreneurs in emerging startup regions. The investment cash will come from Revolution LLC, the Washington, D.C.-based venture-capital firm Case co-founded.
The nine finalists, announced Thursday, are:
1. BeneFix, a Lancaster-based firm that provides quoting software to the health insurance industry. Pitching will be Matthew Ranauro, founder and CEO.
2. TurnoutNow, of Lancaster. The company provides high-resolution event data using wearable tech and predictive analytics. Pitching will be CEO Harpreet Chatha.
3. Augean Robotics of Phoenixville, Chester County. The company builds robotic following carts for workers in rugged environments. Pitching will be CEO Charles Andersen.
4. Crimewatch Technologies of Carlisle, a provider of electronic criminal justice data to law enforcement and government agencies. Pitching: CEO Matthew Bloom.
5. INTAG of Harrisburg, which develops modular ecosystems for resilient agriculture and hyper-local food. Pitching: Ian Kanski, co-founder and president.
6. Device Events of York. The company develops software that identifies patterns of problems with medical devices to improve patient safety and reduce risk. Pitching: CEO Madris Tomes.
7. Schedule Engine, which uses apps to allow contractors to deliver a modern customer experience. Pitching: Austin Haller, co-founder and CEO.
8. TEAMology of State College, an education-based technology program. Pitching: Linsey Covert, founder.
9. Fizika Group LLC of Lancaster, which helps those at risk of developing dementia reduce heart health risks and maintain brain health. Pitching: Martha Harris, founder, president and CEO.
