ahhto Crowned ‘7 Minutes in Heaven’ Champion at DC Startup Week 2017
One Startup Victorious at the 2017 DC Startup Week.
ahhto, a company streamlining dealerships and service centers, defeated more than 44 startups and 5 finalists from across the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia region to win the 7 Minutes in Heaven pitch competition, held as part of the 2017 DC Startup Week. Samuel Bitaraf, the startup’s founder, will be taking home $1,000 in cash prizes.
ahhto has a goal to remove the hassle and stress related to car buying and car repairs. By providing customers with a product that alleviates a majority of the pain points related to each process, ahhto removes the customer from what is necessary and time consuming, providing them with more time for what’s important.
ahhto also receives one month free at the new co-working space Alley powered by Verizon (2055 L St NW), and an exclusive call with Jennifer Litorja from SendGrid on how to increase email ROI and their Startup Program.
“I applied to the7 Minutes in Heaven pitch competition knowing it would be a great opportunity to get my idea out there. Winning the pitch competition has provided me with momentum needed to help secure meetings with investor and gain interest form the D.C. startup community,” says Samuel.
The other four top finishers included Vendoo, Smart Bridge Health, Crazy Ate, and Fandemic. All finalists received a spotlight on the Techstars Startup Digest Washington DC Region newsletter with a community of 5,600 subscribers to date.
Vendoo is a platform for online sellers to easily crosspost and manage all of their items and sales data in one place. SmartBridge Health is aiming to democratize access to optimal cancer care, offering an online process to reach quality Oncologists. Crazy Ate is the first meal kit delivery service for school lunches, engaging kids in a hands-on process to become excited and learn. Fandemic allows community influencers to create a custom storefront to sell their favorite products and earn commission on sales.
The competition is part of the 2017 DC Startup Week, the largest FREE entrepreneurial festival in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia region. These startup founders have businesses with high-impact potential to scale and catalyze change.
7 Minutes in Heaven finalists had the chance to live pitch in front of leading investors, serial entrepreneurs and more than 150 attendants. DC Startup Week offers entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem actors the chance to connect, cultivate and celebrate the region’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The next DC Startup Week celebration is scheduled for September 24–28, 2018. For more information, visit www.DCstartupweek.org.
