More than 300 came out to StartUP FIU’s first-ever Pitch Day on Tuesday, where entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to present their ideas to a group of angel investors and venture capitalists.
Of the startups that took the stage, five were invited to continue in investor discussions
The companies include:
- Bid Aero, a sourcing and procurement platform for airplane parts;
- PilotVR, a physical therapy-driven virtual reality system brought to customers at an affordable price point;
- Addigy, a cloud-based IT management platform;
- MPG Technologies, a tech-based manufacturer of specialty food and beverage ingredient “food pearls,” used in cocktails and contemporary cuisine;
- and VoterAid, a heuristics-based platform that differentiates between candidates in a given election to aid voter choices
The entrepreneurs pitched their ideas to investors such as Raul Moas, managing partner of Miami-based angel-investor network group AGP, Kathy Chiu and Benjamin Patz of the FAN Fund and others.
StartUP FIU is a state-sponsored venture within the Miami-based Florida International University open to students, faculty and early-stage startup entrepreneurs. Its mission is to help create and grow traditional companies, high-tech ventures and social enterprises.
With a $1.25 million investment from the State, it was able to launch its inaugural cohort in fall of 2016. There, tech-based ventures and scaleable ideas were incubated to prepare for Pitch Day.
StartUP FIU’s second cohort is set to begin in January. The program is free but participants are chosen through an application process.
Source: StartUP FIU Pitch Day brings early-stage ventures to investors – South Florida Business Journal
