The Pitch: Top Five Finalists Revealed

We received over 120 submissions. These five made the cut. Winner to be announced at The Pitch live event.

In June, Philadelphia magazine called on the city’s entrepreneurs to submit their best business ideas to The Pitch, presented by UnitedHealthcare.

By the deadline in July, the city exceeded our expectations. We received over 120 submissions for the competition from all areas of the city’s diverse business landscape — tourism, real estate, edtech, biotechnology, agribusiness, fintech, retail, media, consulting, and more.

After reviewing all submissions and making some tough decisions, we selected the following five finalists: 

  • StaffGeek
    Staffing service with a proprietary process for matching a candidate’s personal preferences with a company’s corporate culture.
  • HomeGrown Farms
    Indoor farming company that uses hydroponics to yield hyperlocal, sustainable produce.
  • RoundTrip
    A care coordinator web-based portal and complementary vehicle operator mobile platform for non-emergency medical transportation.
  • Coded by U
    Tech education provider focused on teaching software engineering, data science, and digital design to youth and adults.
  • Perseus Mirrors
    An interactive smart mirror that uses voice commands to allow users to check email, watch videos, and take photos among other things.

Last week, these teams pitched their business plans before a panel of five judges. I was joined on the panel by industry leaders including Dan Tropeano, the executive director of UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania and Delaware, Archna Sahay, the city’s director of entrepreneurial investment, venture capitalist, Wayne Kimmel, and Douglas Green, managing principal of MSC Retail.

The winner of The Pitch will be revealed at The Pitch’s live event on September 7th at Pipeline, where the teams will present their plans to the judges again, but this time before an audience. The winner of The Pitch will receive a prize package worth over $30,000.

To attend the live event, RSVP by August 29th at phillymag.com/thepitch.

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