BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Missouri-based company is the grand prize winner of the 43North startup competition.
On Wednesday evening, 10 startup finalists took the stage to pitch their companies at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo for the 43North Finals.
The finalists all submitted their final pitches in hopes to 'wow' the judges in the sixth year of this competition and get a piece of the $5M dollar investment from 43North.
The top investment went to Strayos. The company will receive $1M, while seven other finalists will receive $500K.
43North Portfolio Companies also then use free incubator space in the Queen City for a year. Each company will also gain mentors and can utilize incentive programs through 43North.
The CEO of @StrayosAI alongside @LtGovHochulNY and @gress_alex speaking after the competition tonight. He won the grand prize of $1M. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/Klkg9uVmEi
— Nikki DeMentri (@nikkidementri) October 31, 2019
Read more about the 10 finalists below:
BridgeCare – Seattle, WA
BridgeCare is the AI-powered co-parent: a workplace benefit lightening the load for working parents. By leveraging underutilized tax benefits, BridgeCare makes it easy and affordable for every employer to solve the overwhelming caregiving challenges that have already driven 50% of millennials to leave their jobs.
Circuit Clinical (TrialScout) – Buffalo, NY
Circuit Clinical is one of the largest integrated research organizations in the U.S., and through its Clinical Services Team and patient platform TrialScout, empowers patients to choose clinical research as a care option.
GroupRaise – Houston, TX
GroupRaise is a marketplace that helps groups of 20-200 people make reservations at restaurants willing to donate a percentage of the sales back to a charitable cause.
HotelsByDay – New York, NY
HotelsByDay is a marketplace offering technology and protocols that unlock hotel day room inventory and booking flexibility. With over 99,000 realized bookings in 4 years, HotelsByDay is a proven solution to increase revenues, monetize room downtime, reduce hotel customer acquisition costs, and improve guest experiences.
Peanut Butter – Chicago, IL
Peanut Butter helps companies offer student loan assistance as a benefit. Employers offering student loan assistance are able to hire faster, retain talent longer, and improve diversity, while making a positive impact on their employees’ financial future and contributing to the solution for America’s $1.5T student debt crisis.
PocketSuite – San Francisco, CA
PocketSuite helps any solopreneur make a living by making it easy for clients to regularly book and pay them. You can access all of your client information and schedule, book appointments, get paid, and manage your business all from a smartphone.
Rally – New York, NY
Rally is a technology platform that has moved hundreds of thousands of riders by enabling individuals to self-aggregate and create bus trips on-demand. Rally creates pop-up mass transit solutions, creating new demand for the private bus industry. In Rally’s multi-faceted marketplace, the primary beneficiaries are riders, bus operators, and events.
Robodub – Seattle, WA
Robodub is solving the last mile logistics problem with a new patent pending drone technology. Our drones can carry multiple payloads, dynamic/shifting payloads, and can fly in harsher weather conditions. The U.S. Navy, Army, Special Ops Forces, and Air Force are among our customers.
Strayos – St. Louis, MO (WINNER)
Strayos is a visual AI platform to reduce cost and improve efficiency in mining operations for optimized drill/blast and pre-excavation sub-surface object detection for infrastructure projects.
WhoseYourLandlord – New York, NY
WhoseYourLandlord is a SaaS platform empowering and informing the rental community through landlord reviews and housing literacy content. Our goal is to increase transparency in the residential market, and to bridge the communication gap between renters and home providers through verified reviews and through online sentiment analysis software.
