GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Three tech startup companies pitched their ideas Thursday at the Urban Hub, the culmination of the third cohort of the Build Up program.
- Representatives from each company — Recap Videos, MyVendue, and Vadar Alpha — had five minutes to pitch their ideas to three judges
- The judges were Cordero Barkley of Titletown Tech, Megan Dickman-Renard of The Business News, and Adam Kroener of Carbliss
- The three startups each received a $2,000 grant, which was a surprise provided by the Greater Green Bay Chamber's sponsors
- The Chamber plans to hold the Build Up tech acceleration program again in the fall
- Video shows the concept of each tech startup
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Three new startup tech companies get a chance to promote and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges — and Packers backup quarterback Sean Clifford. We're at the third Build Up Showcase in Green Bay.
Sean Clifford started his own business while he was playing at Penn State.
"I remember it like it was yesterday, back in State College, pitching at a pitch evening to get a grant for Limitless NIL, so I've been there, done that, with these guys," Clifford said.
Thursday night, he gave advice to other entrepreneurs — and then watched as they tried their own hand at a Shark-Tank-style pitch.
Recap Videos creates personal testimonial videos for businesses to use in their marketing strategies.
"Think of Netflix for your five-star reviews that you are earning online," a representative from the company said.
MyVendue centralizes buyers and sellers of professional services — so if a business like a dentist's office is looking for something like snow removal, it can use the platform to find the best rate.
"We're one-stop shop for those kind of services," founder Rich Thomson said.
And Vadar Alpha is an AI-informed place for optimizing logistics, hoping to help companies save money and resources.
"Imagine a platform that integrates across these different systems, including email," founder Stephen Pounds said.
The founders got feedback from the judges — the final step of a 10-week startup crash course organized by the Greater Green Bay Chamber.
"It's not easy to do this work and to be successful," said Lisa Jossart, the Chamber's director of economic development. "They're going to have to tell their stories more and more broadly to get to know who's in that space, and who has potential investment money that they can put into their business."
The Chamber says it plans to host the Build Up program again in the fall.
"Lots of great business is done in Green Bay, Wisconsin, which is very exciting for me," Clifford said. "[I'm] hoping to be in Green Bay for a while."
Each startup also walked away with a $2,000 grant, which was a surprise reward from the Greater Green Bay Chamber.
