Winners named in Elevate Nexus pitch competition
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Indianapolis-based Elevate Ventures has announced the winners of its annual Elevate Nexus Statewide Pitch Competition. Five Hoosier startups were awarded a total of $320,000 in pre-seed and seed funding to further grow their businesses.
A total of 16 startups pitched their ideas to a panel of judges last month. Three of the winners each received $40,000 in pre-seed funding and the remaining two each received $100,000 in seed funding.
“I am impressed with the range and depth of innovative companies we have throughout the state,” Elevate Ventures CEO Christopher Day, who was one of the judges, said in written remarks. “It is exciting to see so many great entrepreneurs across Indiana building our next generation of companies that will have an impact both nationally and globally.”
The winners include:
Pre-Seed
- Adapta Education (South Bend): Provides an advanced testing platform, powered by artificial intelligence, to help teachers personalize education.
- NanoBio Designs (Indianapolis): Provides a novel detection platform to verify the presence of targeted genetic markers in samples.
- Paradise Spreads (Schererville): A plant-based food company that makes sweet spreads and snacks made from plant proteins like peas, sweet potato and brown rice.
Seed
- Leaftech Ag (Wilkinson – Hancock County): Offers a handheld digital lab that geolocates and analyzes a plant’s leaf for nutrient composition.
- Quantum Research Sciences (Lafayette): Solves complex industrial problems that require quantum computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning expertise.
The Elevate Nexus competition is funded by a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant, and the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund.