Venture Connectors has selected four startups to compete in the final round of our 10th annual Venture Sharks‚Ñ¢ business competition on Wednesday, May 1. Entrepreneurs seeking funding for their business plans will fend for themselves against a panel of savvy investor sharks fishing for the next great deal. Click here to register.
 
The final round will be held during the monthly Venture Connectors’ luncheon meeting at the Muhammad Ali Center, 144 N. Sixth St. Doors open at 11:45 a.m., and the competition starts promptly at noon. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize, one year of startup coaching and thousands of dollars of in-kind services.
 
Venture Connectors received more than 30 applications from entrepreneurs across the region. The Venture Sharks selection committee chose the top nine ideas for the first round of competition April 17, where the field was narrowed to the following four finalists:
- Gluconfidence, a convenient source of fast-acting, concentrated glucose for people with diabetes
- Pascal Tags LLC, the first completely passive inventory tag allowing for identification without a chip or battery
- Prodigy Biosciences, rapid tableside food testing device that will specifically detect traces of peanuts in food samples
- The Read Read, the first device that allows children and adults with visual impairments and blindness to independently learn and practice phonics and braille
During the final round, presenters will be allowed a few minutes to describe their idea to the judges, who then will fire off questions to the presenters in the style of the television show, “Shark Tank.” One lucky survivor will receive a prize package designed to help them take their idea to market.
New to the prize package this year, startup coaching will include one-on-one mentoring from established entrepreneurs and advisors on: strategic planning, product/market fit, software development, marketing and promotion, financial advising and modeling, capital fundraising and legal structuring.
We hope to see you May 1!!
