Pure Pitch Rally returning in October with spot-cash funding; applications open now
July 9, 2019 | Startland News Staff
The land sharks are already hungry for Kansas City’s top tech talent, said Karen Fenaroli, announcing the planned return of the Pure Pitch Rally this fall.
Pure Pitch Rally 2018, photo by Mikaela Wendel Photography
“Not only does Pure Pitch Rally provide startups with the opportunity to earn much-needed cash funding, it gives local entrepreneurs direct access to the resources and people in our community who can take their businesses to the next level,” said Fenaroli, founder of Pure Pitch Rally and CEO and founder of Fenaroli & Associates, a premier talent consultancy.
The fourth annual event — set for Oct. 15 — will showcase a curated group of startups pitching to a pre-selected panel of executives called “land sharks” who judge then each directly fund and donate $1,000 to the start-up pitcher of his or her choice. Attendees also vote to award an additional funding prize to a People’s Choice winner.
Click here to apply to compete in the competition. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 16.
“Success is snowballing; we had a Pure Pitch Rally alumnus sell his business to a Fortune 100 company,” Fenaroli said, referencing TicketRX’s spring exit with its acquisition by Overland Park-based MSTS. “It’s milestones like those we continue to support our pitchers in achieving.”
Click here to read about Stenovate, another one of Pure Pitch Rally’s success stories.
The pitch competition brings together an invitation-only crowd of more than 200 CEOs, VIPs, angel funders and investors to network and collaborate, Fenaroli added, underscoring Kansas City’s commitment to expanding its role as a national tech leader.
“Due to the KC’s growing support for this event, the number of land sharks and sponsors continues to grow each year,” she said. “In 2018, we were able to give away more than $1 million in cash funding and resource packages, and we’re expecting that to grow this fall.”
Click here for a glimpse at the startup’s featured in the 2018 Pure Pitch Rally.
A new component of the event this year: Shark Bites dinners. Participating land sharks and sponsors plan to gather in small groups the week before to the Oct. 15 event to discuss the entrepreneurial and business landscape in Kansas City, and to ideate additional ways the community can generate support for up-and-coming tech innovators, Fenaroli said.
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
KC’s first Hispanic beer company craft-brews conversations beyond stereotypes
Defining his own cultural identity has been a lifelong struggle for Damon Arredondo, the longtime brewer said. Coming from a mixed-cultural background, Arredondo often felt as if there was “a checklist” that decided whether or not he was able to identify with his heritage, he shared. “Only recently in the last five year have I…
Veteran entrepreneur finds security in pizza, opening new Rosati’s in south Overland Park
Bob Ring sold his homegrown company of 25 years — then got a job delivering pizzas. All part of the recipe for the longtime Kansas City businessman who — despite his decades of experience — initially found banks hesitant to lend to him during the pandemic as he worked to open his own pizzeria in…
Camel Culture tastes like home: How a Missouri dairy’s milk fills a void when everything else seems foreign
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. MILLER,…
Fund Me, KC: Her startup has outgrown its puppy phase; now’s your chance to feed its potential
Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses or lend a helping hand to others. This is an opportunity for business owners and innovators — like Jonaie Johnson’s effort to publicly launch the highly-anticipated PlayTach smart dog crate attachment by Interplay — to share their…