Female-Led Startups Pitch for a Fast-Track Semifinalist Spot at the 8th Annual Startup of the Year Summit
Established has always put a precedent on finding the very best startups, with an emphasis on finding companies that value inclusivity.
That’s why throughout the remainder of the year, Established will hold four small Startup of the Year virtual pitch competitions, the winners of which will receive an automatic Top 100 Semifinalist spot to the 8th Annual Startup of the Year (SOTY) Summit, taking place virtually in the late fall. Participants in the smaller online events will also have the opportunity for special mentor hours with industry experts.
The first SOTY Live Pitch Event takes place on May 28 from 1pm — 2:30pm ET and will celebrate early-stage startups founded by females, providing them a way to elevate their pitch, gain exposure, and engage a stellar panel of judges.
Expert Judges include: Jean Case (National Geographic Society, Case Impact Network), Cheryl Campos (Republic), Eric Bahn (Hustle Fund), Jesse Draper (Halogen Ventures), and Phil Nadel (Forefront Venture Partners).
“Women represent (global = 49.5%, U.S. = 51%) of the population. Meanwhile, just 2.5% of all venture-capital-backed startups have an all-female founding team, and only 9% of the venture capitalists investing in tech startups are women,” Jen Consalvo (Co-CEO, Established) reminds us. “Until we see absolute parity, we need to create opportunities like this for these incredible businesses that are essential to our economy.”
Meet the startups who will compete on May 28:
Cherry Blossom Intimates | Washington, D.C.
Cherry Blossom Intimates provides customized and inclusive protheses and lingerie for breast cancer survivors and everyday women alike. Unlike traditional, behind-the-curtain fittings at medical shops, they are the first company that offers completely customizable, fully insurance-billable post-mastectomy prosthetics with a state-of-the-art fitting experience.
MITO Material Solutions | Indianapolis, IN
MITO developed a suite of graphene based modifiers that can be infused directly into epoxy systems then applied to composite components used to manufacture planes, cars, and wind turbines. Their products increase the flexural, tensile and impact properties, giving manufacturers the ability to make lighter or tougher parts, thereby reducing the likelihood of mechanical failure.
Pocketnest | Ann Arbor, MI
A mere 8% of the country’s millennials can demonstrate high financial literacy. Pocketnest provides comprehensive financial planning in a digital platform by licensing their software to financial institutions like banks, credit unions, investment advisors, plan sponsors, and other fintech platforms. This startup demystifies financial planning and equips you with tools you need to manage your own financial plan.
ReThink Words | Chicago, IL
ReThink is the first-ever effective, proactive IoT solution that stops cyberbullying before the damage is done. Operating as a keyboard on mobile devices, ReThink works across all apps, from Instagram to Twitter, to detect offensive messages and give users a second chance to reconsider them.
ZtoMed | Bethesda, MD
DNAHealthMap is an integrated solution for doctors that enables them to take early action to prevent and mitigate genetic diseases before symptoms appear. They do 100% genetic sequencing and can then tell someone’s genetic disease risk across 16,000 diseases and 340 drugs.
Thank you to our sponsor Zoho, which will be offering a special offer to attendees of the May event.
- Learn about our other Startup of the Year Virtual Pitch Competitions and Presentations here.
- Interested in becoming a mentor or future judge for Startup of the Year, please complete this short form.
- Startups apply to the 2020 competition here.
