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.