This post originally appeared on the Nexus Louisiana Tech Park blog.
Today, Nexus Louisiana announces the three companies selected to compete head-to-head for the High-Stakes Pitch Competition. A $100,000 investment prize will be awarded to the winning company at the live pitch event during Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week on Thursday, March 10. The finalist companies are Falaya (Barett Blondeau, founder and CEO), ParkZen (Manos Chatzopoulos, CEO and co-founder) and Cluey Consumer (Maryclaire Manard, founder and CEO).
Each company was selected after an initial pool of 34 applicants was narrowed to eight semi-finalists by a team of judges with extensive knowledge and experience in identifying investment potential. The semi-finalist companies submitted a detailed business plan for review before giving closed-door pitches to a panel of judges who selected the three finalists earlier today.
“We base the High Stakes Pitch on investability to help raise the profile of high-potential companies in Louisiana and connect them to our regional investment community,” said Genevieve Silverman, president & CEO of NexusLA. “We believe that this competition, while rigorous, is a great step toward building a stronger innovation ecosystem in Baton Rouge.”
1. Falaya
Falaya is redefining how homes are sold by offering Real Estate forms automation, on-demand virtual realtor appointments and a reimagined pricing model that places the control squarely in the homeowners’ hands.
2. ParkZen
ParkZen enables enterprises and organizations to optimize their parking operations in the most economical and sustainable way available in the marketplace powered by smart crowdsourcing technology.
3. Cluey Consumer
Cluey Consumer empowers consumers to make a greater impact through their everyday purchases. Cluey’s searchable database showcases thousands of brands’ social, environmental, and political impacts so that consumers can buy products that are more in line with their values.