NUFUND VENTURE GROUP, CONNECT & COX BUSINESS PRESENT

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How Quick Pitch Works

 

FINALISTS

Once the competition Call for Applications ends, the top 8-10 Finalists are selected. In addition to the Quick Pitch competition, some of these early-stage startups are invited to apply to NuFund to be considered for investment by over 300 members across the country

 
 

JUDGing

After each 2-minute presentation, investor judges – who are key players in the local and national startup ecosystem – provide their analysis for the benefit of the audience, which, at the end of the event, text message their vote for their favorite company to determine the final winners.

 

 

2023 Quick Pitch Recap

After a 3-year hiatus due to COVID, the re-booted Quick Pitch competition came back, thanks to the John G. Watson Foundation, and in conjunction with our partners at CONNECT for Innovation Day at Petco on September, 14th, 2023. Not only was 2023 the triumphant return of the event, but also it was the first time in Quick Pitch history that the event was livestreamed via Zoom, with NuFund members across the country tuning in and participating in Q&A and voting. In the end, 1st place and $7,500 was awarded to Healcisio, which is an AI-based precision analytics platform for healthcare providers, and the 2nd place prize of $2,500 went to Roga Life, which is a wearable device for reducing anxiety.

THE 2023 Top 8 FINALISTS:

Aaron Boussina, CEO, Healcisio; Chloe Duckworth, CEO, Valence Vibrations; Carlos Munoz, CEO, ReBlood RX; Alison Smith, CEO, Roga Life; Lauren Fang, CEO, MedAssent DDS; Diego Gonzalez, CEO, HolaTech; Sun Migliacci, CEO, Yorbis; Julia Layton, CEO, Sundaze

2019 Quick Pitch Recap

It was a Hauntrepreneurial edition of Quick Pitch 2019 taking place just a few days before Halloween. After starting off with a circus performance and fully costumed crew, and update from our 2018 winner, Shiv Shukla of NeuraLace, who recently raised $3M, the hosts with the mosts, Victoria Lakers from NuFund (fka TCA - San Diego) and Mike Krenn from CONNECT w/ SDVG, kicked off the competition. After the dust settled, it was a clean sweep of 1st place and the Audience Choice Award for AgTools, who brought home $60,000 to fund its supply chain management software designed to reduce food waste. The second place prize of $10,000 went to Eyedaptic, which is developing augmented reality treatments for people losing their eyesight, and third prize of $5,000 went to 1859, a biotech startup making drug discovery faster and cheaper.

THE 2019 top 10 FINALISTS:

Gordon Alton, CEO, Agragene; Martha Montoya, CEO AgTools; Jay Cormier, CEO, Eyedaptic, Inc; Bhawanjit Brar, CEO, Jaan Biotherapeutics; Jack Fernandes, CEO, Regenica Biosciences; Jericho Youssefi, CEO, RoomChazer; Frank DeJoy, CEO, Suavei, Inc.; Michael Jegat, CEO, STACT; Pulkit K. Agrawal, CEO, The 5th Ingredient; Devon Cayer, CEO, 1859, Inc.

“After we went to Quick Pitch, that’s when we started getting some good traction.”
— Shiv Shukla, Neuralace Founder & Quick Pitch 2018 Winner

 Recap of Quick Pitch 2018

Opening with a rousing rendition of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” by The School of Rap, and alumni company update from Trust & Will, the 12th Anniversary Quick Pitch broke records for applications, attendance and prize money - and maybe fun. When all was said and done, following a community scholarship award to WIT for promoting student entrepreneurship, the judges awarded the first prize of $50,000 to NeuraLace Medical, which is a pain management device. The second place and Audience Choice prizes of $10,000 each went to Yembo, which is using AI to make moving easier, and the $5,000 third place prize went to Lynx Bio, which is creating a precision diagnostic tool for blood cancer.

The 2018 top 10 Finalists:

Shiv Shukla, CEO, NeuraLace Medical; Sid Mohan, CEO, Yembo; Chorom Pak, CEO, Lynx Bio; Shayanne Wright, CEO, LEFT; Beck Bamberger, CEO, OnePitch; Benji Koltai, CEO, Galley Solutions; Sher Butt, CEO, CB Therapeutics; Justin Weissberg, CEO, Evasyst; Rae Lietzau, CEO, DoWhop; Elle Hempen, CEO, The Atlas Marketplace

Shiv Shukla, Neuralace Founder & Quick Pitch 2018 Winner

Shiv Shukla, Neuralace Founder & Quick Pitch 2018 Winner

Recap of Quick Pitch 2017

The 11th Anniversary Quick Pitch was one of our best yet with Tech Coast Angels and San Diego Venture Group joining forces for the first time! With over 500 attendees we had great audience participation and the feedback has been incredible, including comments about the diverse and interesting finalist companies, the insightful and entertaining judge's comments and the quality of networking before and after the competition.

The audience chose the winners and we had a new record cash prize of $50,000. Our First Place winner of $30,000 was San Diego-based Ocella (now called Ateios), a team from UCSD who is creating a wearable flexible battery. The top 3 winners were Ocella, Aqua Design Innovations and Trust & Will, respectively. 

The 2017 top 10 Finalists:

Kevin Liang, Founder, Aqua Design Innovations; Paul Swaney, Co-founder, Enspero; Jennifer Cosco, CEO, Envy; Erik Groset, CEO, Fantasy Sports Co.; Ash Robinson, CEO, Fit4mom; Corey Mack, CEO, Laforge Optical; Lu Yin, CEO, Ocella; Greg Houlgate, CEO, Oska Wellness; Cody Barbo, CEO, Trust & Will; Cody Russell, CEO, Tunnel Vision VR

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