Five Semifinalists Enter Championship Round of Pitch Dingman Competition
On December 3, 2015 the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the Robert H. Smith School of Business hosted the semifinal round of the annual Pitch Dingman Competition. The competition is a three-round process where startup companies compete against one another to secure $15,000 in seed money.
The presentations were evaluated on the following criteria: how they will use the funds, potential revenue streams and growth, competitive advantage provided by their service or product, and how they have identified a viable target segment to go after in the market.
Only five of the 10 teams moved onto the final round, with all semi-finalists receiving a $250 prize for making it onto the finals. The finals are set to take place on February 16, 2016.
Here are your semifinalists, as described by this article on the Robert H. Smith School website:
Embitterment – Presented by Russell Garing, a second-year MBA at the Smith School, Embitterment has launched itself in the bitters for cocktails industry as a local option. The start-up is looking to utilize the prize money to help automate their bottling process.
ICOW – Presented by Jonathan Kau, ICOW is a company that aides Chinese students avoid education fraud, get into a school that’s a good match and help review their applications for grammar.
Uboard – Presented by Natalie Urban, Uboard currently offers headboards for college dorms in three different styles (floral, state flag and solid colors), along with add-ons such as a LED light that will gently awaken you from your sleep. Uboard was the audience favorite and won the $500 prize.
VentureStorm – Presented by Tommy Johnson, VentureStorm is an app that allows entrepreneurs to explain their problem to local student developers who can offer their services directly to the entrepreneur for a stake of equity in the company.
WeCook – Presented by Ryan Pillai, WeCook is an app that offers you the option to select your meals and then have a personal chef come to you house, cook the meals and then clean up the mess. All you need to do is figure out which meal to eat that day and enjoy it.
About the Author
Max Pulcini
Max Pulcini is a Philadelphia-based writer and reporter. He has an affinity for Philly sports teams, Super Smash Bros. and cured meats and cheeses. Max has written for Philadelphia-based publications such as Spirit News, Philadelphia City Paper, and Billy Penn, as well as national news outlets like The Daily Beast.
