In the fourth iteration of the Pitch Stop event, a shark tank-esque battle of the beginning businesses, selected innovators and entrepreneurs will be showing their products or services to an experienced panel of investors — in turn, they receive important feedback to help them grow.
Pitch Stop is run by the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, offering opportunities to three startups in the running for “a prize package of professional services worth over $10,000.”
Chosen companies Dome Audio, Princeton NuEnergy, and Grades 4 Life will be competing against each other at the East Gallery of Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton on Thursday, February 17, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The event puts a spotlight on the early stages of creative ideas looking to expand on, or explore, their path to success. Other startups will be displayed throughout the room, and networking will be included in the allotted time frame.
This year’s Pitch Stop is sponsored by IT management company Integris, whose New Jersey branch is located in Cranbury, while the panelists include Sean O’Sullivan of SOSV, Susan Goldsmith of Golden Seeds, and Dan Herscovici of Edison Partners.
Individual tickets for Pitch Stop are $40 and can be purchased at www.princetonmercerchamber.org. Beer, wine, and refreshments from Constellation Catering are included.
After the event, all attendees are invited to visit the Grounds to see the current after-hours multi-sensory exhibit “‘Night Forms: dreamloop” by Klip Collective.
Dome Audio will be showing its devices, with the New York brand billing its product as “the world’s first multi-patented, 4D experience, surreal sound, bone conduction headphones with interchangeable noise isolation dome covers.”
Aiming to be “the future of sound,” each side of the Bluetooth headphones can be worn with open or closed listening options around the ears. The flexibility of choice ensures both “situational awareness and safety” one way, yet blocks outside noise through the other.
Princeton NuEnergy is a clean technology startup based in Bordentown. According to their website, the startup’s goal centers around environmental solutions that best help the natural world prosper, prioritizing ways to find sources of renewable energy or alternative fuel.
The group’s latest endeavors include exploring second-life battery options to extend the usage of batteries for stationary power storage, as well as closed-loop lithium-ion battery recycling, a process that reuses materials from old batteries to make new ones.
PNE has been the recipient of multiple awards and grants thus far. The startup was the National Grand Prize Winner of the 2021 Cleantech Open, a $1.15 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II award from the U.S. Department of Energy, and were part of 10 startups who received seed grants of $75,000 from the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology.
Somerset nonprofit Grades 4 Life’s programming works in tandem with local schools, organizations, and communities to engage young people in active collaboration. By helping them “get a better grade for life,” as their website continues, the group encourages positive adolescent interactions in hopes that participants will achieve something greater for society.
With services such as an incentive rewards system that helps teach self-accountability and the value of giving back, Grades 4 Life also has a “Sharkpreneur” initiative for those ages 12 to 18 to explore early entrepreneurship offerings.
Through helping them partner with local business owners and building upon community connections, Grades 4 Life aims to support success, whether for professional or personal growth.
Of the panelists, O’Sullivan is the managing general partner at SOSV, where he runs a global collection of startup accelerator programs. The entrepreneur, investor, and engineer helps support small businesses through benefits such as mentoring and funding.
Goldsmith is a law partner at McCarter & English in East Brunswick, but she is also involved with Golden Seeds, a firm that invests in women-led startups. Golden Seeds’ New Jersey branch launched in 2020.
Herscovici is a partner at Witherspoon Street-based venture capital firm Edison Partners.
The prize package donors include technology services from Integris; accounting and advisory services from Withum; attorney services from Christopher R. Kinkade of FisherBroyles, a law firm with an Overlook Center location; advertising and marketing support from Lambertville-based Imbue Creative, and brand development and advertising support from Ewing-based Stimulus Brand Communications.
All three entrants have a chance to win by simply presenting their project’s perfect pitch.
