Rural founders are stepping into the spotlight once again. Startup Colorado has named the finalists for its upcoming Pitch Competition at West Slope Startup Week in Durango on October 8, 2025. These entrepreneurs represent the breadth of innovation emerging outside city limits, with companies spanning outdoor recreation, software technology, sustainability, and food and beverage.
The stakes are high. Finalists will compete for a mix of funding opportunities, including venture capital, interest-free crowdsourced loan campaigns, and targeted in-kind support such as mentorship and legal services. For some founders, this stage may serve as an entry point into institutional capital; for others, it represents validation and visibility that can catalyze growth. At last year’s competition, participants secured more than $380,000 in commitments—a tangible reminder that rural communities are producing investment-worthy businesses with measurable impact.
Judges for this year’s event include representatives from Howdy Partners (formerly the Greater Colorado Venture Fund), the Kickstart Fund, Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young, as well as legal and business experts. Their perspectives reflect a growing recognition that rural founders are not only building viable businesses but also contributing to broader regional economic development.
The Startup Colorado Pitch Competition is more than a contest. It’s part of a larger effort to expand access to capital and cultivate a culture of belief in rural entrepreneurship. By convening investors, policymakers, and founders in one room, the competition demonstrates what’s possible when attention and resources are directed toward communities often overlooked in the innovation economy.
Meet the Finalists
Eric Amyot of issho – Glenwood Springs, Colorado
issho is a generative homes company which provides families and communities with: fully integrated, biophilic-designed homes; custom, resilient whole-home systems; and consciously sourced home products. issho has created the world’s first truly generative, modular, and prefabricated homes, and is helping families and communities to begin their journey towards an abundant and self-sufficient life.
John Armstrong of Onalytics – Salida, Colorado
ONA (Operational Network Analytics) takes the recycling industry’s messy, underused data and turns it into certified carbon credits. We make it easy for operators who don’t know how to use their data to unlock new revenue, prove their impact, and meet global reporting standards.
Joseph Bissonnette of Sky View Tents – Buena Vista, Colorado
At Sky View Tents, we create innovative tents featuring the first-ever, patent-pending internal rainfly system. This unique design lets campers enjoy unobstructed views of the night sky while staying ready for sudden weather changes. With quick, easy access to the rainfly from inside, you can connect with nature instead of hiding behind traditional tent barriers. Our tents make stargazing, comfort, and peace of mind all part of the same experience.
Matthew Glick of MTN FX — Durango, Colorado
MTN FX is a SaaS operations management platform built for the skiing industry. We serve ski patrol and guided skiing operations by streamlining daily tasks, avalanche mitigation tracking, inventory of explosives, and weather data collection. Our platform provides 3D mapping, digital compliance records, and standardized workflows that improve safety and efficiency. MTN FX brings modern technology to an industry still reliant on paper and outdated tools.
Mike Milakovic of Mighty Mike’s Foods – Durango, Colorado
Mighty Mike’s Foods makes bold, clean-ingredient veggie snacks for healthy outdoor lifestyles—starting with our dehydrated kale chips. Gluten-free, plant-based, and adventure-ready, they prove veggies can be delicious while staying simple and nutritious. We sell online, at farmers markets, and through regional retailers across the Four Corners with strong repeat customers. Born in Durango, CO, we’re scaling production and distribution to bring “Snack Strong” to outdoor retailers and natural grocers across the West.
Brock Predovich of BiteZen – Cañon City, Colorado
BiteZen is reimagining a more profitable dental insurance with greater benefits from the ground up—our proprietary AI sensor platform enables a smart dental insurance ecosystem that remotely monitors oral health, tracks patient behavior, promotes prevention, and saves billions in claims.
Our platform doesn’t just cover treatment—it helps prevent it, which dramatically reduces claims and creates a win-win for everyone: patients, and providers.
Join us in empowering rural entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders to achieve even more in 2025. Contributions of any amount directly power our mission to build a sustainable statewide network of resources supporting rural entrepreneurs, so that people and places can thrive and chart their own futures! Will you help us?
