Early Stage MT Announces Statewide Showcase – November 7th in Missoula – $50,000 Investment Prize

Entrepreneurs, tech leaders, and anyone interested in Montana’s fast-growing tech ecosystem have a unique opportunity to celebrate this year’s rising group of local tech companies at the 2nd annual Early Stage Montana Statewide Showcase on November 7 from 4-8 p.m. at the Wilma Theatre in Missoula. The event features 12 emerging Montana tech companies in a business pitch competition where they’ll vie for a chance to win $50,000 in funding from Frontier Angels.

Early Stage Montana provides FREE training and mentorship to accelerate the growth of emerging Montana technology businesses, so they in turn can create more good jobs in Montana communities. The event is open to the public, but registration is required and can be done online at http://www.earlystagemt.org.

The 12 companies participating in the competition were the winners of multiple regional showcase competitions held last spring in Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula. The then further honed their skills by taking part in Early Stage Montana’s HyperAccelerator—a free, week-long intensive training on the keys to success for tech startups, and received free mentoring from more than 80 of Montana’s best tech leaders.

“The type of world-class training we provide is incredibly important for new companies as they get started,” says Pat LaPointe, managing director of Frontier Angels and current board chair of Early Stage Montana. “It also helps pave the way for long-term, sustainable success, which leads to faster job creation in our Montana communities.”

The companies that participated in Early Stage’s 2018 programs are proof of this impact. Those companies have already attracted over $8 million in investments and created more than 20 high-paying jobs around the state.

Early State MT is a program operated by the Montana Technology Acceleration Association, a 501c.3 non-profit co-founded by a broad coalition of organizations supporting entrepreneurial growth in MT including: Big Sky Economic Development, Blackstone LaunchPads at MSU and UM, 406 Labs, Frontier Angels, Missoula Economic Partnership, Montana High Tech Business Alliance, MonTEC, and Next Frontier Capital.

Over 250 people attended last year’s event. This year’s showcase crowd is expected to be even larger, especially since people can also “gift” registration to college students wanting to attend. That option is also available online when you register for tickets.

Here are the 12 companies showcasing on November 7^th:

• Blackhyve (Bozeman) – financial project management software for the construction industry
• Charmed (Missoula) – a complimentary app to dating sites using artificial intelligence to provide messaging feedback, dating advice to individuals searching for a potential mate
• DugalHealth (Bozeman) – tools to transform the lives of those with Type 1 diabetes by closely tracking eating habits and using machine learning techniques to determine proper insulin dosages
• DRIMS (Missoula) – aiding disaster recovery programs world-wide by offering a digital platform to streamline communications and planning for all disaster-relief agencies
• Glacigen (Bozeman) – using existing battery technologies in new and better ways to power more advanced battery applications for vehicles, aircrafts, and more
• HomeManager (Livingston) – cloud-based software for homeowners to track home maintenance and improve safety, energy efficiency, and property value
• MoblHom (Bozeman) – online marketplace for mid-term housing rentals for people who are relocating or needing temporary housing
• MyShippingPost (Bozeman) – software and label-printing to make package shipping easier, more convenient, and less expensive by partnering with consolidators, couriers, and mail services
• RavenCSI (Billings) – helping healthcare organizations improve customer retention and health outcomes by speeding up feedback cycles from patients to administrators to caregivers
• Tadpull (Bozeman) – a software platform to help mid-market, e-commerce companies improve their digital marketing to generate better insights and increased sales
• Tourbase (Whitefish) – cloud-based software for turn-key reservations, transactions, and guest communications for tour managers, operators, and outfitters
• Vision Aerial (Bozeman) – building sophisticated drones to assist in the inspection process of public and commercial infrastructure

For more information on Early Stage Montana or to reserve a seat for the Statewide Showcase, visit http://www.earlystagemt.org.