Princeton-area entrepreneurs will have the chance later this month to pitch their ideas to a team of investors during Pitch Stop, a Shark Tank-like event being hosted by the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Three startups will take the stage on Feb. 17 at “Pitch Stop IV” for the chance to win $10,000 worth of professional services to help develop their product and get it out to the market.
It will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Grounds for Sculpture in nearby Hamilton Township. Contestants are moving up from the first round of the event held in July, which saw “more than double the number of expected applicants.”
The first is Dome Audio and their DomeD4 headphones; the second is the Grades4life.com tech platform for building the “climate and culture for schools and organizations;” and the third is the life-battery solutions and lithium-ion battery recycling startup Princeton NuEnergy.
They will make their case to a three-member panel consisting of SOSV Managing Partner Sean O’Sullivan — the venture capital firm behind the proposed $50 million HAX Accelerator in Newark.
Sullivan is partnering with Dan Herscovici from Edison Partners, an equity firm in Princeton that invests in the fintech and health care tech sectors. And the duo will be joined by McCarter English law partner Susan Goldsmith, who’s also involved with Golden Seeds, which invests in women-led startups.
“It is only natural that the Chamber provides an opportunity for local startups and local investors to connect,” reads a prepared Feb. 8 statement from Princeton-Mercer Chamber President and CEO Hal English.
The professional services package will include aid from accounting firm Withum, tech company Integris, FisherBroyles law partner Christopher Kinkade, advertising agency Imbue Creative, the marketing and advertising firm Stimulus Brand Communications, and the Princeton-Mercer chamber.
“Our region is rife with opportunity for entrepreneurs, and Pitch Stop provides an outstanding forum for startups in all stages,” Rashaad Bajwa, CEO of Domain Technology Partners, a sponsor for the July round, said in a statement.
