PitchSeries final competition launches in Downtown Melbourne

2015-04-13

SPACE COAST, FL—Since the launch of the Space Coast PitchSeries at Jaycon Systems last February, more than 100 startups have connected with the networks and know-how to make their ideas a reality. This week, Jaycon launched a last call for startups seeking funding, mentors, and free service opportunities. The top ten ‘people’s choice’ innovators selected at the Friday, April 24th pitch competition will also take part in the final PitchChallenge on May 8th as an extension the Downtown Melbourne Mainstreet ⎋ Friday Fest. The winning pitch will receive 11K in awards, which includes a $1000 cash prize as well as free consulting from local leaders in innovation. [caption id=“attachment_915” align=“aligncenter” width=“762”] ⎋ Click here to RSVP today! Email jenna@jayconsystems.com for information on how to pitch a tent ($40­$60).[/caption]     The PitchChallenge is the last of four 60-second pitch competitions hosted by Jaycon Systems to foster the growth of the startup ecosystem in the Space Coast. The series of workshops featured guest conversations with Leaders in Innovation across the region. These experienced entrepreneurs and “intrapreneurs” shared their successes and failures with emerging startups in the crowd and offered advice to better scale businesses. One of the first Leaders in Innovation to support local startups as part of the series, Geri Burke, says its an honor to help foster the growth of innovation in the Space Coast.  “[The PitchSeries] is a great place for these people to come together not only to meet and share their ideas, but also to network,” Burke said. “There are a lot of people who have ideas that are burning to become the realities and if you get connected into the network, you’ll feel that energy.” Each month, following a Q&A with Leaders in Innovation, a 60-second pitch competition took place. Several startups refined their ideas by using each opportunity to refine their messaging and collect more votes from the audience. “[The PitchSeries is] a perfect blend of productive order and creative spontaneity,” said innovator, Tom McGovern, the ‘people’s choice’ winner of the first-ever PitchSeries. “I had an evening of excellent fellowship and supremely useful and focusing information…I am in a much better position now to actually fund and build a working prototype of this device.” The $1000 made available to the PitchSeries winner is solely funded by the Leaders in Innovation themselves who believe in supporting Space Coast innovation as a collective. Applications are still open for private and corporate entities to match that funding pool. Jaycon Systems believes in a Space Coast that upholds a legacy of making the impossible, possible. The top idea in hardware at the PitchSeries will receive a $1000 non-transferable engineering design coupon for use at Jaycon. Come out and help us to make moonshot ideas a reality, April 24th (at Jaycon Systems) and May 8th at 6p.m. (in Downtown Melbourne.) Jaycon Systems is now a registered vendor with NASA’s small business vendor database. Jenna Buehler is a Melbourne ­based freelance writer.