Venture Madness Selects 17 Companies as Finalists for their Annual Competition

Finalists will present at the 2023 Venture Madness Conference to earn prizes and secure funding from accredited investors for their early-stage companies.

PHOENIX, Feb. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Venture Madness by Invest Southwest has selected 17 finalists for the 2023 Venture Madness Competition. Finalists were selected by judges from a pool of 88 applicants based on market need, industry attractiveness, competitive advantage, business model, management team and investment opportunity.

"These 17 companies will compete at the 2023 Venture Madness Conference for the chance to win their share of $40,000 in cash prizes," said Hamid Shojaee, Board Chairman of Venture Madness. "Presenting finalists will also have the opportunity to secure funding for their early-stage companies from accredited investors that will be attending the event."

Listed in alphabetical order, the 17 finalists are:

ActiveClass, Tempe, AZ
ChangeSync, Mesa, AZ
Delta Development Team Inc. Tucson, AZ
dotScribe, Scottsdale, AZ
EduFi, Scottsdale, AZ
equipifi, Scottsdale, AZ
KeepWOL, Phoenix, AZ
Lilia Health, Phoenix, AZ
losci, Phoenix, AZ
Mercurio Analytics, Inc., Phoenix, AZ
Padma Agrobotics, Mesa, AZ
PathogenDX, Scottsdale, AZ
Polls for Messages Inc., Scottsdale, AZ
Promineo Tech, Peoria, AZ
Strategikon Pharma, San Francisco, CA
The Patient Company, Scottsdale, AZ
Top Applicant, Inc. dba Elevate, Gilbert, AZ

The 2023 Venture Madness Conference and Expo is a live event to be held on April 12-13 at the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix. The event is open to the public and tickets are available at https://venturemadness.com

Attendees at the 2023 Venture Madness Conference and Expo include accredited investors, service professionals, and entrepreneurs. The conference is held in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority and is Arizona's longest standing venture capital and pitch conference, bringing together accredited investors with the region's most promising ventures. Since the inception, participating companies have raised more than $1 billion in funding.

This year's event will also feature a new alumni session that highlights four former finalists who will share inspiring stories about raising capital.

Alumni companies include:

AlgoFace, Carefree, AZ
Metfora, Tucson, AZ
Reglagene, Tucson, AZ
Rivia Health, Tempe, AZ

Winners from the 2022 competition include:

Botco.ai, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ
Frites Street, Scottsdale, AZ
TapRoot Interventions & Solutions Inc., Phoenix, AZ
PWR Lab, Inc., Aptos, CA
Neon Screens, Gilbert, AZ (People's Choice)

The Venture Madness competition is open to early-stage and emerging growth companies from across the U.S. and offers its participants exclusive access to active, accredited angel investors and venture capital firms from around the country. All finalists receive expert mentorship from seasoned investors, business leaders and other successful entrepreneurs in preparation for the competition.

About Venture Madness by Invest Southwest
Venture Madness by Invest Southwest is the premier organization for connecting investors with the best and brightest ventures in the region. It offers year-round programs and events and hosts Arizona's longest-running capital conference and pitch competition. In addition to providing a valuable connection point for both investors and early-stage companies preparing for growth, Venture Madness offers unparalleled networking for investors, early-stage companies, business leaders and mentors all designed to help young companies navigate their way to success one step at a time.

About The 2023 Venture Madness Conference and Expo
The Venture Madness Conference and Expo is the signature event for Venture Madness by Invest Southwest. It is a unique capital conference and pitch competition presented in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority where vetted companies apply to compete against one another in a head-to-head competition to crown a champion. For more, visit venturemadness.com.

About Previous Investor / Attendees
Investment firms who have attended the Venture Madness competition previously include: Access Venture Partners, ATI (Arizona Tech Investors), AZ-VC (formerly invisionAZ Fund), Battery Ventures, Bridge Bank, Canyon Angels, Cottonwood Technology Fund, Cypress Growth Capital, DCA Asset Management, Decathlon Capital, Desert Angels, DLA Piper, EPIC Ventures, Fulcrum Equity Partners, Golden Seeds, Grayhawk Capital, Intel Capital, Kickstart Fund, Lighter Capital, MSP Sports Capital, Next Frontier Capital, Peak Ventures, Pelion Venture Partners, PHX Ventures, Prospeq, Radian Capital, RevTek Capital, Signal Peak Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, Sonoran Founders Fund, Sorenson Capital, State 48 Ventures, Stout Street Capital, Sun Mountain Capital, Trinity Capital, Warburg Pincus and Wells Fargo Bank.

SOURCE Venture Madness by Invest Southwest