By Margaret Hedderman
Securing venture capital can feel like a slog for any founder. But for those in rural areas, it often means navigating a system geared toward urban startups with deep networks. Yet, at the Startup Colorado Pitch Competition during West Slope Startup Week, three founders broke through, securing investment deals that could impact the trajectory of their businesses.
What set them apart? How did they capture investor interest and prove that rural startups can compete on the broader market? Today, we’re digging into their journey, uncovering the strategies and decisions that turned their pitches into investments—and what it means for other rural founders looking to fund their business.
UPDATE 🗞️: As of 12/5/24, four founders have secured investment as a result of the Startup Colorado Pitch Competition.
Meet the Winners
Virginia Frischkorn of Partytrick in Basalt — $140K from the Greater Colorado Venture Fund
Partytrick offers a B2B subscription-based, end-to-end platform that simplifies event planning experiences through a streamlined “click, pick, host” process. Designed for businesses, brands, and consumers, the platform serves the $322 billion event planning industry by providing a white-labeled, content-loaded project management tool.
Georgia Grace Edwards of Gnara Apparel in Gunnison — $100K from GCVF
Gnara’s mission is to help everyone “Answer Nature’s Call®” with its patented GoFly® zipper technology, which allows women to discreetly relieve themselves without removing safety gear or exposing skin. The GoFly® zipper revolutionizes women’s outdoor clothing by providing comfort and convenience for activities ranging from hiking to frontline work.
Mark Leonard of ScaleIP in Telluride — $140K from 14 Founders
ScaleIP is a B2B SaaS platform that assists universities, labs, hospitals, and companies in finding high-intent businesses and contacts interested in licensing, selling, or acquiring patents. Unlike traditional patent analytics tools, ScaleIP leverages pioneering intent data to predict which entities are actively “in the market” for IP.