Early Stage MT 2019 Regional Showcases to begin this week

Join your community in supporting Montana’s most innovative startups. From med-tech to SaaS to robotics, a lineup of Montana’s cutting edge businesses are competing for access to some of the best training and mentoring Montana has to offer, and for $50,000 cash. Entrepreneurs from across the state are showcasing their business plans at one of three Regional Business Pitch Competitions hosted by Early Stage Montana in Billings, Bozeman and Missoula. Early Stage Montana is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate the growth of emerging technology businesses by helping entrepreneurs avoid mistakes, and connecting them to the mentoring and financing needed to scale.

Startups in the Missoula area who submitted applications to Early Stage MT are preparing to present their business plans to a panel of experienced entrepreneurs and investors on May 2 from 5 to 8 pm. The public is welcome to attend the showcase at Garlington, Lohn and Robinson located at 350 Ryman Street – 6th floor. Tickets are free of charge and available on Eventbrite.com or http://www.earlystagemt.org/regional-events/

The most promising companies from each of the three Early Stage MT Regional Showcases are selected to attend a week-long in-depth training and mentorship program, the HyperAccelerator. There, they will work intensely with over 50 mentors from across Montana to improve their business plans, strategies, and skills – all completely FREE in exchange except for their dedication to improve themselves.

After honing their plans and perfecting their pitches, finalist companies will gather on November 7th in Missoula to compete for a $50,000 cash investment at the 2nd Annual Statewide Showcase. Hosted by Early Stage MT and sponsored by a coalition of entities, the Statewide Showcase is a day-long celebration of Montana’s tech ecosystem. Entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and community leaders join together in helping these companies accelerate their pathways to growth and job creation within our communities.

In 2018, over 30 Montana companies entered the regional Showcases. Seven went on to the HyperAccelerator and Statewide Showcase, and since then have collectively raised over $3 million in new investment and created over a dozen new jobs in the high tech industry.