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
Chronic Cow uses big data to attack pain: ‘I can still live a good life,’ founder with MS says
Half of all Americans have a chronic illness, said former TeraCrunch co-founder Dr. Kevin Payne. That somber reality, paired with uninvolved physicians, makes quality of life difficult for patients and the focus of Payne’s new venture, Chronic Cow, he said. “From a medical perspective, all I can do as a patient is what my physicians…
Mommy Meals designs simple dinner kits for delivery to new moms
KC-cooked startup Mommy Meals aims to serve impact — not just dinner — attempting to tackle a growing mental health experience one hot plate at a time, said its co-founders. “I truly believe if you’re in a tough spot — you’re down on your luck, you’re in a dark spot — I always tell people ‘Go…
FlipSwitch VR visualizes scaling its active, multiplayer gaming concept from Crossroads
Kansas City could be the virtual reality hub of America, said Michael Eichenseer, predicting Crossroads-located FlipSwitch VR will jumpstart the movement with the help of First Fridays foot traffic. “The owners [KC natives Jim and Jamie Mahoney] definitely want to expand,” said Eichenseer, host and marketing manager for the “epic scale, free-roam, multiplayer virtual reality”…
PHOTOS: Startland’s biggest event yet celebrates 2019 future newsmakers
Founders, investors and audience members were treated to a glimpse of their potential futures Thursday night during Startland’s Startups to Watch in 2019 celebration. The premier event — presented at the Copaken Stage by Kansas City-grown and headquartered H&R Block — showcased 12 companies featured on Startland’s recent list of the most anticipated newsmakers for…