We’re getting ready to hit the road again from September 28th through October 2nd for our fourth Rise of the Rest bus tour with Steve Case.
This next 500-mile tour will pass through Baltimore (MD), Philadelphia (PA), Buffalo (NY), Manchester (NH) and Portland (ME). Along the way Steve will personally invest $500,000 in local startups and shine a spotlight on the emerging startup economies of each city.
We’ve partnered with Google for Entrepreneurs and Salesforce for Startups to present this latest tour, an effort to showcase and invest in entrepreneurs across the U.S. To date, $1.5 million has been invested in startup businesses across 14 cities including Detroit, Charleston, Pittsburgh, and New Orleans through the Rise of the Rest initiative.
Today, we are excited to announce the finalists for the local pitch competitions in each city and share a sneak peak of what’s in store. Startups will pitch their companies in front of an all-star slate of judges including Steve, Ben Jealous in Baltimore, Stephen A. Smith in Philadelphia, Thurman Thomas in Buffalo and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in Portland.
Baltimore – Monday, September 28:
In Baltimore, Steve will visit startups OrderUp and R2Integrated, iconic brands like UnderArmour, as well as incubators and accelerators such as Fast Forward at Johns Hopkins University and Impact Hub. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Senator Ben Cardin, Ben Jealous, and numerous other business, political, university, and civic leaders from across the region will join us that day. Attendees can RSVP for the fireside chat interview between Steve and Stephen Foley of the Financial Times and the $100,000 pitch competition here. Judges include Steve Case, Ben Jealous, Chris Jeffrey, Christy Wyskiel, Julie Kirk, and Revolution’s Bobby Ocampo and Evan Morgan. Tige Savage of Revolution will moderate the pitch competition.
Baltimore Pitch Competition Finalists:
- ShapeU, LLC – Data driven Solution to group personal training
- Sisu Global Health – A medical device company for emerging markets
- Edessa – A scalable automated hand washing system that standardizes the hand washing process
- Sonavex, Inc. – A platform that detects blood clots prior to morbid surgical failures
- Gift Card Giving – A platform that allows non-profit organizations to accept and turn unused gift cards into cash
- Proscia – Implants image analysis and big data within digital pathology
- Javazen – Compound analysis to develop a healthier and natural coffee
- PapGene – Early ovarian cancer detection system
Philadelphia – Tuesday, September 29:
In Philadelphia, in addition to the $100,000 pitch competition, Blackstone Charitable Foundation and Rise of the Rest are teaming up for a Student Speed Pitch Competition with 10-12 student entrepreneurs from local universities and colleges, who will speed pitch their startup ideas to Steve, Amy Stursberg of BlackStone Charitable Foundation, and Stephen Tang of the University Science Center. Mayor Nutter will join the tour as well, and sports journalist Stephen A. Smith will be a celebrity judge during the $100,000 pitch competition. Attendees can RSVP for the fireside chat interview between Steve and Kimberly Weisel of INC. Magazine and the $100,000 pitch competition here. Judges include Steve, Stephen A. Smith, Amy Stursberg, and Revolution’s David Hall. Derek Anderson of Startup Grind will moderate the pitch competition.
Philadelphia Pitch Competition Finalists:
- SmartPlate – A plate that instantly analyzes everything you eat
- Scholly – An easy way to find scholarships
- Funerals360 – Funeral planning online made easy
- Byndr – Mobile learning management system for emerging markets
- WhoseYourLandlord – Platform to review a landlord and find your home
- Wash Cycle Laundry – Sustainable commercial laundry service
- Life.io – Solution that motivates and rewards users for tracking and improving health
- FOCUS Foods Inc. – urban, aquaponics farming on rooftops and in old warehouses
Buffalo – Wednesday, September 30:
In Buffalo, we will be joined by Bills Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas, and we will make visits to 43North, Z80 labs, SolarCity, Bak USA, Empire Genomics, and City Dining Cards. Attendees can RSVP for the fireside chat interview between Steve and Jordan Levy of Softbank Capital NY and the $100,000 pitch competition here. Judges include Steve, Thurman Thomas, Doug Swift, among others. Marnie LaVigne of Launch NY will moderate the pitch competition.
Buffalo Pitch Competition Finalists:
- KeepUp – A productivity app that lets you take back your life from social media
- triMirror – 3D virtual fitting room with real-time clothing simulation
- Cartefi – A network for entities to post, find and share new opportunities
- POP Biotechnologies – Innovative nanomedical cancer drug delivery solution
- interactiveX – Platform where professors collaborate in the development of interactive e-books
- Energy Intelligence, Inc. – A road-mounted energy harvesting system
- Heads Up Display Inc. – Wearable technology company focused on allowing users to make data driven decisions in real-time
- Smart Walls – a startup developing deployable, precast concrete walls used to protect buildings or entire neighborhoods from flooding
Manchester – Thursday, October 1:
In Manchester Steve and prominent business, political, and university leaders will visit startups and accelerators including Dyn and AlphaLoft. Governor Maggie Hassan will host a private lunch for the Rise of the Rest tour and leaders across the state, as well as participate at the pitch competition. Representatives from the presidential campaigns will do “speed pitches” focused on how their candidate plans to help startups if elected. Attendees can RSVP for the fireside chat interview between Steve and James Pindell of the Boston Globe, as well as the $100,000 pitch competition, and the presidential campaign “speed pitch” here. Judges include Steve, Julie Samuels, and Matt Rightmire. Jamie Coughlin, the Director of Entrepreneurship at Dartmouth, will moderate the pitch competition.
Manchester Pitch Competition Finalists:
- Adored Inc. – A loyalty experience platform that is strengthening the relationships users have with the businesses they visit and brands they love
- VidFall – Social shopping platform, where brands leverage video to inspire purchasing
- FreshAir Sensor – Novel sensor technology that detects smoking
- AlignRevenue – A collaborative virtual meeting and sales analytics platform that makes remote sales meetings interactive
- HappsNow – Brings every social opportunity on and around college campuses to life
- Calibrater Health – Improving patient care through real time feedback
- Fliq – Seamless, scan based social media platform to connect across platforms and networks
Portland – Friday, October 2:
In Portland Steve will visit Certify, Cape Seafood, Think Tank among other stops. He will be joined by Senator Angus King, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and other leaders from across the state. There will also be a craft product mentoring meeting with Steve, local leaders, and entrepreneurs on a boat tour of Casco Bay. Attendees can RSVP for the fireside chat interview between Steve Case, Governor Deval Patrick, and Whit Richardson of the Portland Press Herald, as well as the $100,000 pitch competition, here. Judges include Case, Revolution’s David Golden and Scott Hilleboe, among others. Jess Knox of Olympico Strategies will moderate the pitch competition.
Portland Pitch Competition Finalists:
- Likeable Local – Social automation software for small businesses to monetize from their social media presence
- Dream Local Digital – Digital marketing agency for small businesses
- Rapport – Sustainability software for small and midsize businesses
- CourseStorm – Online registration for programs offering local classes
- Spring Point Solutions – Software development catered to the electric motor/pump sales industry
- iKNO Intranet – A corporate intranet system to allow for more company and customer engagement
- Introspective Systems – Developing introspective software
- Lobster Unlimited – Building products from the waste products of lobster fisheries
Follow the Rise of the Rest tour on Twitter and Instagram with #RiseofRest.
