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By Sarah Nanbu
While the robust lineup of speakers, parties, workshops and networking opportunities are getting attention as this city prepares for next week's TechfestNW, for many people the highlight of the two day event is PitchfestNW, the startup competition that takes place during TFNW. One of the largest startup competitions in the Northwest, more than 135 startups in industries like health care, fintech, cannabis, apparel, cybersecurity, food, education, SaaS and AI will be vying for the approval of a panel of investors. (Think of Shark Tank without Mark Cuban). Here is the full list of startups who will be attending TFNW and pitching to investors.
"It's been amazing to watch PitchfestNW grow from a concept into one of the premier startup pitch events on the West Coast," says Rick Turoczy, one of the Northwest's leading startup evangelists and the General Manager of PIE. "As an early stage startup accelerator, PIE is incredibly lucky to have this event in our own backyard, providing an annual opportunity for all of our startups to access connections that can help propel their companies forward"
Julianne Brands, a Partner at Oregon Venture Fund, says "It's never been a better time to be an entrepreneur in the NW! The caliber of the companies and the quality of the pitches keep getting better every year, and this year's PitchfestNW at TechfestNW is no exception. Startups are solving big, hairy, and meaningful problems with technology in every industry – from AI-enabled insurance to 3-D printing platforms for surgeons." says Brands, "The Oregon Venture Fund is thrilled to partner with TechfestNW on PitchfestNW for the third year in a row, and we're excited to see such a diverse group of entrepreneurs, companies, and ideas at PitchfestNW 2019."
Over the past several weeks, a number of the startups received pitch training provided by the Oregon Venture Fund and TFNW, including SaF, an on-demand app that lets you hire someone to wait in line for you, sitter, AnimalBiome, which helps you understand your pet's gut microbiome, and Masa, the first online farmers market. All these startups, and 130-plus more, will be competing to be chosen as one of the top 5 startups go on to compete for the grand prize on the mainstage of TechfestNW on Friday, April 5th. Get your tickets here.
What fame or fortune is destined for these startups? Well, just last week, the New York Times featured one of PitchfestNW finalists from 2018, a Portland startup called AllGo, which is sort of a Yelp for plus-sized people.
Get your tickets here.