Pure Pitch Rally returning in October with spot-cash funding; applications open now

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.