This post originally appeared on the Louisiana Technology Park blog.
RNvention, a Shreveport-based health care company, made the winning business pitch to a live audience and panel of judges at the most recent PitchBR.
The April 19 PitchBR night was held at Sullivan’s Steakhouse and in partnership with the Louisiana Technology Park and the Small Business Innovation Research Consortium, an organization of companies participating in the Small Business Administration’s SBIRprogram. SBIRC also seeks to help other companies in applying for SBIR grants.
The event was especially competitive because in addition to a prize of $1,000 from the SBIRC, the winning startup also received assistance in the SBIR grant application process.
Beyond the prizes, PitchBR offers startups the opportunity to network with some of Baton Rouge’s most successful businesses, innovative entrepreneurs and consultants.
“This event is to highlight the SBIR program, a $2.5 billion federal program that invests in businesses doing tech development,” said Andrew McCandless, president of Bascom Hunter and one of the event’s organizers. “The companies are pretty much pitching their SBIR idea to illustrate to the audience what an SBIR [proposal] consists of and allow them to get feedback from partners to support their SBIR partnership,” McCandless said.