This article was reported on by Amy Dinsmore, marketing specialist @ PowerDMS
On Thursday 10 local startups will have 3 minutes to pitch their companies to a room of more than 100 business executives, CEOs, investors and tech entrepreneurs to win a share of $15,000 in prize money. The event, called Slingshot Fastpitch, is sponsored by the Orlando Chapter of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) in partnership with StarterStudio and Canvs.
“We’d been thinking of running quarterly fastpitch events for a while, something fun and high energy. So when the YPO folks approached us about getting more involved in the community it was a great collaboration opportunity,” said Kirstie Chadwick, StarterStudio’s Executive Director. “They were able to add the prize element as well as an extremely influential audience of angel investors and business leaders, so it was perfect timing.”
The YPO is an international nonprofit connecting more than 22,000 CEOs and business leaders in 125 countries with a mission of creating better leaders through education and idea exchange. The Orlando chapter has 59 members, and, collectively, YPO members’ companies have a medium annual revenue of $45 million and more than $5.4 trillion combined.
YPO Orlando Chapter Treasurer Alex Santos felt the Slingshot Fastpitch format was an ideal way to connect YPO members to Orlando Tech’s growing community.
“My company DigitialRisk, a home mortgage tech firm with 2000 plus employees, was acquired in 2014, and I was looking for my next venture,” said Santos. “My thinking was Boston, DC, Chicago were the places to be. Then I discovered how vibrant the Orlando tech scene was, and I thought if I didn’t know about the exploding local scene, there’s a good chance other YPO members don’t either, so we partnered on this event to get YPO more involved in the community.”
Each startup has 3 minutes and two slides to pitch their company, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A by attending YPO members. At the end of the night the YPO audience members in the audience will choose a winner using a smartphone voting app.
More than 50 companies applied to pitch, and these were the 10 finalists:
AssistRx is a web-based application that streamlines the processes related to prescribing, distributing, and administering specialty medications
AZZLY is a web-based application that integrates multiple healthcare software solutions into one—everything from check-in to check-out, including billing, claims and collections
CareSpotter guides families through the unfamiliar caregiver hiring and management process by connecting them with experienced, vetted caregivers, while offering the protections and benefits of an agency
EASE (Electronic Access to Surgical Events) is a free medical messaging app that updates the status of patients undergoing procedures via texts, photos and videos
Edu(k)ate uses gamification tools to connect retirement plan participants with online personal financial education, while collecting useful data for employers
Fattmerchant is a subscription-based credit card processing company that offers the hardware and processing charges at cost to businesses and charges a flat monthly fee with no contract
HybdridaSol is utilizing a proprietary printing process to create large, thin, flexible and inexpensive thermoelectric devices that can generate electricity from heat or heat from electricity
ICLOAK is a portable anonymity tool that enables users to browse anonymously and securely from any machine, anywhere
Rapido is a platform for vetted home service providers (HVAC, plumbers, electricians, etc.) to post available times they are open for home service calls
SightPlan a software solution providing a modern approach to resident and service management for the multifamily real estate industry
The YPO Slingshot Fastpitch Competition will be at Canvs on Thursday the 26th from 4 to 8 p.m. To learn more about the event and register to attend, click here.
