Local entrepreneurs and investors will gather together at the Forge in Jefferson for a Startup Pitch Day on Oct. 8. The winner of the event will receive a cash prize of $25,000.
“I came out for the announcement of The Forge back in December and was excited about all the energy I saw,” said Greg Sands, Managing Director of Costanoa Ventures and organizer of the event. “Linc had asked me if there was some way that I could get involved and we just brainstormed on what we thought could be impactful from a venture capitalist perspective. In the end, felt like the best thing we could do was catalyze some of the existing entrepreneurial energy in Iowa and in rural areas.”
Those interested in participating must submit an application by Sept. 20. From the applications, judges will choose four finalists to present in person at the Jefferson Forge Tech Center on October 8.
The four finalists will be notified on September 30.
Some of the eligibility requirements listed on the event website include having raised less than $1 million, having an existing product or prototype and having a scalable business model.
Ben Milne, Greg Sands and Ryan Broshar will serve as the three judges for the event.
“It’s an exciting time in and around Jefferson with the Forge and what it represents for other rural communities and other communities in Iowa.”
The Forge Grand Opening
On Sept. 7, Accenture will be hosting the Grand Opening of The Forge in Jefferson from 4 – 7 pm.
California Congressman Ro Khanna and Gov. Kim Reynolds will both be speaking at the event to celebrate the opening of the first rural Forge.
The Welcome Center, Thomas Jefferson Gardens and Mahanay Bell Tower will have extended hours along with other stores in Jefferson to welcome visitors.
Previous coverage
Pillar Technology connects with Silicon Valley leaders to bring tech jobs to Jefferson -Dec. 10, 2018
Corteva partners with Accenture to provide scholarships in rural Iowa -June 6, 2019